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Socialism with a human face

January 07, 2023

Socialism with a human face (Czech: socialismus s lidskou tváří, Slovak: socializmus s ľudskou tvárou) is a slogan referring to the reformist and democratic socialist programme of Alexander Dubček and his colleagues, agreed at the Presidium of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in April 1968,[1] after he became chairman of the KSČ in January 1968.

The first author of the slogan was Radovan Richta.

The first author of this slogan was Radovan Richta, and it was a process of moderate democratization, economic modernization, and political liberalization that sought to build an advanced and modern socialist society that valued democratic Czechoslovakian tradition[2] while still allowing the Communist Party to continue governing.

Socialism with a human face was vital in initiating the Prague Spring, a period of national democratization and economic decentralization. It was, however, rolled back by the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968.

Background

The programme was an attempt to overcome the disillusionment of the people of Czechoslovakia with the political and economic situation at the time. As the name suggests, the plan was to breathe new life into the ideals of socialism, which had lost popular support due to the government policies of the previous two decades.[citation needed] While it never intended to bring back market capitalism, Alexander Dubček proposed trade with both Western and Soviet powers and a ten-year transition to multiparty democratized Socialism.[2]

Dubček Speech

At the 20th anniversary of Czechoslovakia's "Victorious February", Dubček delivered a speech explaining the need for change following the triumph of socialism. He emphasized the need to "enforce the leading role of the party more effectively"[3] and acknowledged that, despite Klement Gottwald's urgings for better relations with society, the Party had too often made heavy-handed rulings on trivial issues. Dubček declared the party's mission was "to build an advanced socialist society on sound economic foundations ... a socialism that corresponds to the historical democratic traditions of Czechoslovakia, in accordance with the experience of other communist parties ..."[3]

One of the most important steps towards the reform was the reduction and later abolition of the censorship on 4 March 1968. It was for the first time in Czech history the censorship was abolished and it was also probably the only reform fully implemented, although only for a short period. Changing from an instrument of party propaganda, media quickly became the instrument of criticism of the regime.[4][5]

Action Programme

In April, Dubček launched an "Action Programme" of liberalizations, which included increasing freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of movement, with economic emphasis on consumer goods and the possibility of a multiparty government. The programme was based on the view that "Socialism cannot mean only liberation of the working people from the domination of exploiting class relations, but must make more provisions for a fuller life of the personality than any bourgeois democracy."[6] It would limit the power of the secret police[7] and provide for the federalization of the ČSSR into two equal nations.[8] The programme also covered foreign policy, including both the maintenance of good relations with Western countries and cooperation with the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc nations.[9] It spoke of a ten-year transition through which democratic elections would be made possible and a new form of social democracy and democratic socialism would replace the status quo.[10]

Those who drafted the Action Programme were careful not to criticize the actions of the post-war Communist regime, only to point out policies that they felt had outlived their usefulness.[11] For instance, the immediate post-war situation had required "centralist and directive-administrative methods"[11] to fight against the "remnants of the bourgeoisie."[11] Since the "antagonistic classes"[11] were said to have been defeated with the achievement of socialism, these methods were no longer necessary. Reform was needed for the Czechoslovak economy to join the "scientific-technical revolution in the world",[11] rather than relying on Stalinist-era heavy industry, labour power, and raw materials.[11] Furthermore, since internal class conflict had been overcome, workers could now be duly rewarded for their qualifications and technical skills without contravening Marxism-Leninism. The Programme suggested it was now necessary to ensure important positions were "filled by capable, educated socialist expert cadres" in order to compete with capitalism.[11]

The programme of "socialism with a human face"

Although it was stipulated that reform must proceed under KSČ direction, popular pressure mounted to implement reforms immediately.[12] Radical elements became more vocal: anti-Soviet polemics appeared in the press on 26 June 1968,[10] the Social Democrats began to form a separate party, and new unaffiliated political clubs were created. Party conservatives urged repressive measures, but Dubček counselled moderation and re-emphasized KSČ leadership.[13] At the Presidium of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in April, Dubček announced a political programme of "socialism with a human face".[14] In May, he announced that the Fourteenth Party Congress would convene in an early session on 9 September. The congress would incorporate the Action Programme into the party statutes, draft a federalization law, and elect a new Central Committee.[15]

Dubček's reforms guaranteed freedom of the press, and political commentary was allowed for the first time in mainstream media.[16] At the time of the Prague Spring, Czechoslovak exports were declining in competitiveness, and Dubček's reforms planned to solve these troubles by mixing planned and market economies. Within the party, there were varying opinions on how this should proceed; certain economists wished for a more mixed economy while others wanted the economy to remain mostly planned. Dubček continued to stress the importance of economic reform proceeding under Communist Party rule.[17]

On 27 June Ludvík Vaculík, a leading author and journalist, published a manifesto titled The Two Thousand Words. It expressed concern about conservative elements within the KSČ and so-called "foreign" forces. Vaculík called on the people to take the initiative in implementing the reform programme.[18] Dubček, the party Presidium, the National Front, and the cabinet denounced this manifesto.[19]

Publications and media

Dubček's relaxation of censorship ushered in a brief period of freedom of speech and the press.[20] The first tangible manifestation of this new policy of openness was the production of the previously hard-line communist weekly Literární noviny, renamed Literární listy.[21][22]

Freedom of the press also opened the door for the first honest look at Czechoslovakia's past by Czechoslovakia's people. Many of the investigations centered on the country's history under communism, especially in the instance of the Joseph Stalin-period.[21] In another television appearance, Goldstücker presented both doctored and undoctored photographs of former communist leaders who had been purged, imprisoned, or executed and thus erased from communist history.[22] The Writers' Union also formed a committee in April 1968, headed by the poet Jaroslav Seifert, to investigate the persecution of writers after the Communist takeover in February 1948 and rehabilitate the literary figures into the Union, bookstores and libraries, and the literary world.[23][24] Discussions on the current state of communism and abstract ideas such as freedom and identity were also becoming more common; soon, non-party publications began appearing, such as the trade union daily Prace (Labour). This was also helped by the Journalists' Union, which by March 1968 had already persuaded the Central Publication Board, the government censor, to allow editors to receive uncensored subscriptions to foreign papers, allowing for a more international dialogue around the news.[25]

The press, the radio, and the television also contributed to these discussions by hosting meetings where students and young workers could ask questions of writers such as Goldstücker, Pavel Kohout, and Jan Prochazka and political victims such as Josef Smrkovský, Zdenek Hejzlar, and Gustáv Husák.[26] Television also broadcast meetings between former political prisoners and the communist leaders from the secret police or prisons where they were held.[22] Most importantly, this new freedom of the press and the introduction of television into the lives of everyday Czechoslovak citizens moved the political dialogue from the intellectual to the popular sphere.

During Gorbachev's visit to Prague in 1987, his spokesman Gennady Gerasimov was asked what was the difference between the Prague Spring and perestroika, and he replied: "Nineteen years." [27]

References

  1. ^ "The Prague Spring, 1968". Library of Congress. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  2. ^ a b Lazarowitz, Arlene; Bingham, Emily (2005-02-01). "Socialism With a Human Face: The Leadership and Legacy of the Prague Spring". History Teacher. 38 (2): 273. doi:10.2307/1555723. ISSN 0018-2745. JSTOR 1555723.
  3. ^ a b Navrátil (2006), pp. 52–54
  4. ^ Vondrová, Jitka (25 June 2008). "Pražské Jaro 1968". Akademický bulletin (in Czech). Akademie věd ČR. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  5. ^ Hoppe, Jiří (6 August 2008). "Co je Pražské jaro 1968?". iForum (in Czech). Charles University. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  6. ^ Ello (1968), pp. 32, 54
  7. ^ Von Geldern, James; Siegelbaum, Lewis. "The Soviet-led Intervention in Czechoslovakia". Soviethistory.org. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
  8. ^ Hochman, Dubček (1993)
  9. ^ Dubček, Alexander; Kramer, Mark; Moss, Joy; Tosek, Ruth (translation) (10 April 1968). . Action Program (in Czech). Rudé právo. pp. 1–6. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2008.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  10. ^ a b Judt (2005), p. 441
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Ello (1968), pp. 7–9, 129–31
  12. ^ Derasadurain, Beatrice. . thinkquest.org. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
  13. ^ Kusin (2002), pp. 107–22
  14. ^ "The Prague Spring, 1968". Library of Congress. 1985. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  15. ^ Williams (1997), p. 156
  16. ^ Williams (1997), p. 164
  17. ^ Williams (1997), pp. 18–22
  18. ^ Vaculík, Ludvík (27 June 1968). "Two Thousand Words". Literární listy.
  19. ^ Mastalir, Linda (25 July 2006). "Ludvík Vaculík: a Czechoslovak man of letters". Radio Prague. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
  20. ^ Williams, Tieren. The Prague Spring and Its Aftermath: Czechoslovak Politics, 1968–1970. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1997, p. 67.
  21. ^ a b Williams, p. 68
  22. ^ a b c Bren, Paulina (2010). The Greengrocer and His TV: The Culture of Communism after the 1968 Prague Spring. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. pp. 23ff. ISBN 978-0-8014-4767-9.
  23. ^ Golan, Galia. Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies. Reform Rule in Czechoslovakia: The Dubček Era, 1968–1969. Vol. 11. Cambridge, UK: CUP Archive, 1973, p. 10
  24. ^ Holy, p. 119
  25. ^ Golan, p. 112
  26. ^ Williams, p. 69
  27. ^ Jacques Levesque, The Enigma of 1989: The USSR and the Liberation of Eastern Europe (Berkeley-London: Berkeley, University of California Press, 1997), p. 62.

Bibliography

  • Williams, Kieran (1997). The Prague Spring and its Aftermath: Czechoslovak Politics, 1968–1970. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-58803-4.

External links

  • (full text) of the Action programme. Akční program KSČ (in Czech) (full text).

January 07, 2023
socialism, with, human, face, czech, socialismus, lidskou, tváří, slovak, socializmus, ľudskou, tvárou, slogan, referring, reformist, democratic, socialist, programme, alexander, dubček, colleagues, agreed, presidium, communist, party, czechoslovakia, april, 1. Socialism with a human face Czech socialismus s lidskou tvari Slovak socializmus s ľudskou tvarou is a slogan referring to the reformist and democratic socialist programme of Alexander Dubcek and his colleagues agreed at the Presidium of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in April 1968 1 after he became chairman of the KSC in January 1968 The first author of the slogan was Radovan Richta The first author of this slogan was Radovan Richta and it was a process of moderate democratization economic modernization and political liberalization that sought to build an advanced and modern socialist society that valued democratic Czechoslovakian tradition 2 while still allowing the Communist Party to continue governing Socialism with a human face was vital in initiating the Prague Spring a period of national democratization and economic decentralization It was however rolled back by the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia on August 21 1968 Contents 1 Background 2 Dubcek Speech 3 Action Programme 4 The programme of socialism with a human face 5 Publications and media 6 References 6 1 Bibliography 7 External linksBackground EditThe programme was an attempt to overcome the disillusionment of the people of Czechoslovakia with the political and economic situation at the time As the name suggests the plan was to breathe new life into the ideals of socialism which had lost popular support due to the government policies of the previous two decades citation needed While it never intended to bring back market capitalism Alexander Dubcek proposed trade with both Western and Soviet powers and a ten year transition to multiparty democratized Socialism 2 Dubcek Speech EditAt the 20th anniversary of Czechoslovakia s Victorious February Dubcek delivered a speech explaining the need for change following the triumph of socialism He emphasized the need to enforce the leading role of the party more effectively 3 and acknowledged that despite Klement Gottwald s urgings for better relations with society the Party had too often made heavy handed rulings on trivial issues Dubcek declared the party s mission was to build an advanced socialist society on sound economic foundations a socialism that corresponds to the historical democratic traditions of Czechoslovakia in accordance with the experience of other communist parties 3 One of the most important steps towards the reform was the reduction and later abolition of the censorship on 4 March 1968 It was for the first time in Czech history the censorship was abolished and it was also probably the only reform fully implemented although only for a short period Changing from an instrument of party propaganda media quickly became the instrument of criticism of the regime 4 5 Action Programme EditIn April Dubcek launched an Action Programme of liberalizations which included increasing freedom of the press freedom of speech and freedom of movement with economic emphasis on consumer goods and the possibility of a multiparty government The programme was based on the view that Socialism cannot mean only liberation of the working people from the domination of exploiting class relations but must make more provisions for a fuller life of the personality than any bourgeois democracy 6 It would limit the power of the secret police 7 and provide for the federalization of the CSSR into two equal nations 8 The programme also covered foreign policy including both the maintenance of good relations with Western countries and cooperation with the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc nations 9 It spoke of a ten year transition through which democratic elections would be made possible and a new form of social democracy and democratic socialism would replace the status quo 10 Those who drafted the Action Programme were careful not to criticize the actions of the post war Communist regime only to point out policies that they felt had outlived their usefulness 11 For instance the immediate post war situation had required centralist and directive administrative methods 11 to fight against the remnants of the bourgeoisie 11 Since the antagonistic classes 11 were said to have been defeated with the achievement of socialism these methods were no longer necessary Reform was needed for the Czechoslovak economy to join the scientific technical revolution in the world 11 rather than relying on Stalinist era heavy industry labour power and raw materials 11 Furthermore since internal class conflict had been overcome workers could now be duly rewarded for their qualifications and technical skills without contravening Marxism Leninism The Programme suggested it was now necessary to ensure important positions were filled by capable educated socialist expert cadres in order to compete with capitalism 11 The programme of socialism with a human face EditAlthough it was stipulated that reform must proceed under KSC direction popular pressure mounted to implement reforms immediately 12 Radical elements became more vocal anti Soviet polemics appeared in the press on 26 June 1968 10 the Social Democrats began to form a separate party and new unaffiliated political clubs were created Party conservatives urged repressive measures but Dubcek counselled moderation and re emphasized KSC leadership 13 At the Presidium of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in April Dubcek announced a political programme of socialism with a human face 14 In May he announced that the Fourteenth Party Congress would convene in an early session on 9 September The congress would incorporate the Action Programme into the party statutes draft a federalization law and elect a new Central Committee 15 Dubcek s reforms guaranteed freedom of the press and political commentary was allowed for the first time in mainstream media 16 At the time of the Prague Spring Czechoslovak exports were declining in competitiveness and Dubcek s reforms planned to solve these troubles by mixing planned and market economies Within the party there were varying opinions on how this should proceed certain economists wished for a more mixed economy while others wanted the economy to remain mostly planned Dubcek continued to stress the importance of economic reform proceeding under Communist Party rule 17 On 27 June Ludvik Vaculik a leading author and journalist published a manifesto titled The Two Thousand Words It expressed concern about conservative elements within the KSC and so called foreign forces Vaculik called on the people to take the initiative in implementing the reform programme 18 Dubcek the party Presidium the National Front and the cabinet denounced this manifesto 19 Publications and media EditDubcek s relaxation of censorship ushered in a brief period of freedom of speech and the press 20 The first tangible manifestation of this new policy of openness was the production of the previously hard line communist weekly Literarni noviny renamed Literarni listy 21 22 Freedom of the press also opened the door for the first honest look at Czechoslovakia s past by Czechoslovakia s people Many of the investigations centered on the country s history under communism especially in the instance of the Joseph Stalin period 21 In another television appearance Goldstucker presented both doctored and undoctored photographs of former communist leaders who had been purged imprisoned or executed and thus erased from communist history 22 The Writers Union also formed a committee in April 1968 headed by the poet Jaroslav Seifert to investigate the persecution of writers after the Communist takeover in February 1948 and rehabilitate the literary figures into the Union bookstores and libraries and the literary world 23 24 Discussions on the current state of communism and abstract ideas such as freedom and identity were also becoming more common soon non party publications began appearing such as the trade union daily Prace Labour This was also helped by the Journalists Union which by March 1968 had already persuaded the Central Publication Board the government censor to allow editors to receive uncensored subscriptions to foreign papers allowing for a more international dialogue around the news 25 The press the radio and the television also contributed to these discussions by hosting meetings where students and young workers could ask questions of writers such as Goldstucker Pavel Kohout and Jan Prochazka and political victims such as Josef Smrkovsky Zdenek Hejzlar and Gustav Husak 26 Television also broadcast meetings between former political prisoners and the communist leaders from the secret police or prisons where they were held 22 Most importantly this new freedom of the press and the introduction of television into the lives of everyday Czechoslovak citizens moved the political dialogue from the intellectual to the popular sphere During Gorbachev s visit to Prague in 1987 his spokesman Gennady Gerasimov was asked what was the difference between the Prague Spring and perestroika and he replied Nineteen years 27 References Edit The Prague Spring 1968 Library of Congress Retrieved 5 January 2008 a b Lazarowitz Arlene Bingham Emily 2005 02 01 Socialism With a Human Face The Leadership and Legacy of the Prague Spring History Teacher 38 2 273 doi 10 2307 1555723 ISSN 0018 2745 JSTOR 1555723 a b Navratil 2006 pp 52 54 Vondrova Jitka 25 June 2008 Prazske Jaro 1968 Akademicky bulletin in Czech Akademie ved CR Retrieved 21 March 2018 Hoppe Jiri 6 August 2008 Co je Prazske jaro 1968 iForum in Czech Charles University Retrieved 21 March 2018 Ello 1968 pp 32 54 Von Geldern James Siegelbaum Lewis The Soviet led Intervention in Czechoslovakia Soviethistory org Retrieved 7 March 2008 Hochman Dubcek 1993 Dubcek Alexander Kramer Mark Moss Joy Tosek Ruth translation 10 April 1968 Akcni program Komunisticke strany Ceskoslovenska Action Program in Czech Rude pravo pp 1 6 Archived from the original on 6 May 2008 Retrieved 21 February 2008 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint uses authors parameter link a b Judt 2005 p 441 a b c d e f g Ello 1968 pp 7 9 129 31 Derasadurain Beatrice Prague Spring thinkquest org Archived from the original on 14 November 2007 Retrieved 23 January 2008 Kusin 2002 pp 107 22 The Prague Spring 1968 Library of Congress 1985 Retrieved 5 January 2008 Williams 1997 p 156 Williams 1997 p 164 Williams 1997 pp 18 22 Vaculik Ludvik 27 June 1968 Two Thousand Words Literarni listy Mastalir Linda 25 July 2006 Ludvik Vaculik a Czechoslovak man of letters Radio Prague Retrieved 23 January 2008 Williams Tieren The Prague Spring and Its Aftermath Czechoslovak Politics 1968 1970 Cambridge UK Cambridge University Press 1997 p 67 a b Williams p 68 a b c Bren Paulina 2010 The Greengrocer and His TV The Culture of Communism after the 1968 Prague Spring Ithaca NY Cornell University Press pp 23ff ISBN 978 0 8014 4767 9 Golan Galia Cambridge Russian Soviet and Post Soviet Studies Reform Rule in Czechoslovakia The Dubcek Era 1968 1969 Vol 11 Cambridge UK CUP Archive 1973 p 10 Holy p 119 Golan p 112 Williams p 69 Jacques Levesque The Enigma of 1989 The USSR and the Liberation of Eastern Europe Berkeley London Berkeley University of California Press 1997 p 62 Bibliography Edit Williams Kieran 1997 The Prague Spring and its Aftermath Czechoslovak Politics 1968 1970 Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 58803 4 External links EditEnglish translation full text of the Action programme Akcni program KSC in Czech full text Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Socialism with a human face amp oldid 1131604073, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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