The dissolution of Czechoslovakia: history, causes and consequences. The year of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia

The biggest event in the history of modern Europe was the disintegration of Czechoslovakia. The reasons for this lie in the political, military and economic situation in the state. Decades separate the Czech Republic and Slovakia from the date of the split. But at present this issue is the subject of close research by historians, political scientists and other experts.

1968: the preconditions for the decay

The collapse of Czechoslovakia occurred in 1993. However, the prerequisites for this event were laid much earlier. On the night of August 20-21, 1968, the units of Soviet Arimia, the GDR, Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland, with a total strength of 650,000 troops, invaded Czechoslovakia and occupied the state. The chief of the country (Dubcek, Chernik and Svoboda) was arrested. The remaining leaders at liberty refused to collaborate. The peaceful population tried to resist, about 25 citizens were killed in the midst of anti-Soviet demonstrations. The leadership of the USSR sought to establish a pro-Soviet government on the territory of Czechoslovakia. In these conditions, the autonomy of Slovakia increased within the boundaries of the new federal state, which was proclaimed with the onset of 1969.

Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989

By the end of the 1980s. In Czechoslovakia, the dissatisfaction of the population with the autocracy of the Communist Party increased. In 1989, in Prague, from January to September, many demonstrations were held, which the police dispersed. The main protesting force was the students. On September 17, 1989, a large mass took to the streets, and many were beaten up by policemen, while the universities were closed at that time. This event was the impetus for decisive action. Representatives of the intelligentsia and students started a strike. Union of all opposition - "Civil Forum" - on November 20, under the leadership of Vaclav Havel (photo below) called for a mass protest. At the end of the month about 750 thousand demonstrators took to the streets of Prague and demanded the resignation of the government. The goal was achieved: unable to withstand pressure, Gustav Husak left the post of the president , many officials resigned. The events of the peaceful change of the leadership of Czechoslovakia were later called "velvet revolution". The events of 1989 predetermined the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

Elections 1989-1990.

The post-communist elites of the newly formed parts of the state chose the course toward an independent existence. In 1989, at the end of December, the Federal Assembly elected Vaclav Havel, President of Czechoslovakia, and Alexander Dubcek as chairman. The meeting became a representative body due to the resignation of a large number of co-optation and communists of the political movements "Civil Forum" and "The Public Against Violence".

Havel Vaclav visited Moscow in February 1990 and received an apology from the Soviet government for the events of 1968 when the Soviet troops committed an armed invasion. In addition, he was assured that the military forces of the USSR would be withdrawn at the end of July 1991 from Czechoslovakia.

In the spring of 1990, the Federal Assembly adopted a number of legislative acts authorizing the organization of private entrepreneurship, and on the whole agreed to carry out privatization of state-owned industrial enterprises. In early June, there were free elections, for which 96% of the total number of voters came. Candidates of political movements Civic Forum and the Public Against Violence won the victory with great advantage. They received more than 46% of the vote and most in the Federal Assembly. In second place by the number of votes collected were Communists, whom 14% of citizens chose. The third place was taken by the coalition, consisting of groups of Christian democrats. July 5, 1990 for a two-year presidential term, the new Federal Assembly re-elected Havel Vaclav, and Dubcek Alexander (photo below) - respectively, to the post of chairman.

The split of the "Society Against Violence" movement

The dissolution of Czechoslovakia was established in March 1991, when there was a split in the political movement "The Public Against Violence", as a result of which the majority of the separated groups formed the Movement for Democratic Slovakia. Soon a split arose in the ranks of the "Civil Forum" with the formation of three factions, one of which was the "Civil Democratic Party". Negotiations between the heads of Slovakia and the Czech Republic were resumed in June 1991. By that time, the leadership of the "Civil Democratic Party" came to the conclusion that the meeting would not yield positive results, so it turned to the scenario of "velvet divorce".

"Dash War"

The end of the existence of the communist regime in 1989 accelerated the events that provoked the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Leaders on the part of the Czech Republic wanted the name of the state to be written together, while their opponents - the Slovaks - insisted on a hyphenic spelling. Paying tribute to the national feelings of the Slovak people, in April 1990 the Federal Assembly approved the new official name of Czechoslovakia: the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic (CSFM). The parties managed to come to a compromise, since in the Slovak language the name of the state could be written through a hyphen, and in Czech - it is merged.

"Czechoslovak Forest"

The disintegration of Czechoslovakia was influenced by the results of the talks between the prime ministers of the national governments of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Vladimir Meciar and Vaclav Klaus. The meeting took place in Brno in Tugendhat Villa in 1992. According to the memoirs of her participant Miroslav Matzek V. Claus took a chalk, a board and held a vertical line, indicating that there is a vertical state at the top, and below is a division. Between them passed a wide scale, which included the federation and the confederation. There was a question on which part of this scale was the meeting possible? And this place was the bottom point, meaning "divorce." The discussion did not end until V. Klaus came to the conclusion that those conditions that are diplomatic-friendly for Slovaks are in no way considered acceptable to the Czechs. The dissolution of Czechoslovakia Was obvious. Villa Tugendhat became for this state of its kind Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Further negotiations on the preservation of the federation were not conducted. Following the results of the diplomatic meeting, a constitutional act was signed, which enshrined the legitimate right to transfer the main governing powers to the republics.

"Velvet Divorce"

The year of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia was approaching. The general elections in the republic were held in June 1992. "Movement for a democratic Slovakia" has gained more votes in Slovakia, and "Civil Democratic Party" - in the Czech Republic. There was an offer to create a confederation, but it did not find support from the "Civil Democratic Party".

The sovereignty of Slovakia was proclaimed on 17 July 1992 by the Slovak National Council. Resigned President Havel Vaclav. In the fall of 1992, most of the state powers were transferred to the republics. The Federal Assembly in late November 1992, with a margin of just three votes, approved the law, which proclaimed the end of the existence of the Czechoslovak Federation. Despite the confrontation on the part of the majority of Slovaks and Czechs, at midnight on December 31, 1992, both parties came to a decision on the dissolution of the federation. The disintegration of Czechoslovakia occurred in the year that became the starting point in the history of the two newly created states - the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic.

After the split

The state peacefully divided into 2 separate parts. The dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia Contradictory manner reflected on the further development of the two states. In a short period of time, the Czech Republic was able to bring about cardinal reforms in the economy and create effective market relations. This became the determining factor that enabled the new state to become a member of the European Union. In 1999, the Czech Republic joined the ranks of the North Atlantic military bloc. Economic transformations in Slovakia were more complicated and slower, the question of its accession to the European Union was resolved with complications. And only in 2004 it became part of it and became a member of NATO.