U.S.-Czechoslovak Economic and Cultural Relations in the Cold War

Syllabus

Preliminary Schedule of Topics

Po  2/12    14:00-17:00    IES, Opletalova 26, room 206

Introduction to the course

U.S.-Czechoslovak relations 1918-1938

U.S.-Czechoslovak relations during World War II

Discussion: What factors influenced U.S-Czechoslovak relations before 1945?  

Út  3/12    12:30-15:30     IES, Opletalova 26, 206

U.S.-Czechoslovak relations, 1945-48

The February coup and the Stalinist era

Establishment of the Council of Free Czechoslovakia and other émigré organizations

Czechoslovaks in international organizations, 1945-48

 Discussion: Could the U.S. have done anything to prevent the February coup?  

St  4/12    11:00-16:00     Staroměstské náměstí 1, Pražské kreativní centrum, místnost č.  219  

Thawing relationships, 1958-68 (trade, tourism, and educational and cultural exchanges)

Czechoslovakia’s role in decolonization and global competition between the superpowers

Discussion: How did diverging and sometimes contradictory trends influence U.S.-Czechoslovak relationships during the years leading up to the Prague Spring?  

Po  9/12    14:00-17:00    IES, Opletalova 26, room 206

The Prague Spring (economic reform, mutual cultural influences, youth culture)

Relationships during normalization

 Discussion: Why didn’t the U.S. intervene after the Warsaw Pact invasion?

What impact did 1968 émigrés have on U.S.-Czechoslovak Relations?  

Út 10/12   12:30-15:30    IES, Opletalova 26, room 206

Growing competition in the 1980s: Reagan, Thatcher, and the arms race

Consumerism

Trade and indebtedness

Discussion: How did culture influence U.S.-Czechoslovak relations during normalization? 

How did economic considerations influence U.S.-Czechoslovak relations during normalization?  

St 11/12   11:00-16:00     Staroměstské náměstí 1, Pražské kreativní centrum, místnost č. 219 1989 and after

 Discussion: How have Czech-U.S. relations evolved since 1989-92?

What influences from the past are still relevant today?    

Annotation

This course will examine U.S.-Czechoslovak relations during the Cold War, focusing on cultural and economic contacts and influences from 1945 to 1989.