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The question of the participation of the Great Britain in 1980 Moscow Olympics in the context of the Soviet war in Afghanistan
Křížová, Markéta ; Pešta, Mikuláš (advisor) ; Koura, Jan (referee)
The subject of this bachelor thesis is the question of the participation of the Great Britain in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and the related discussion of the possibility of boycotting them as a response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This thesis focuses primarily on the diversity of British opinion on this issue. Mention is made not only of the views of the British political representation, but also of the sporting community comprising its bodies, led by the British Olympic Committee, the athletes, and the media as well. This picture is then illustrated by opinion polls. In particular, the author tracked the evolution of the debate, which has varied according to the international situation at that time. Other British reactions to the invasion are mentioned in the context of coordination with the Allies. The reactions of the closest allies are also mentioned, which help to paint the overall picture. An analysis of the role of the Olympic Games and sport in general during the 20th century, and an analysis of the invasion itself, is also an integral part of this work.
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Czechoslovakia-Iraq Relations 1980-1989 in the Context of the Cold War and the Iran-Iraq War
Dvořák, Jan ; Koura, Jan (advisor) ; Pešta, Mikuláš (referee)
This thesis will deal with political, economic and military cooperation of both countries during given time period, with taking the context of the Iran-Iraq War and the Eastern bloc' Middle Eastern policy into consideration. One of the main aims will be research of changes of mutual diplomatic relations, supplies of Czechoslovak "special material" to Iraq and it's importance in the relations of Czechoslovakia and Iraq. Integral part of thesis will also be an analysis of the relations between the ruling Iraqi Ba'th party and the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, where I will demonstrate to what degree was the Czechoslovak policy towards Iraq influenced by the ideological premises or by pragmatism. Thesis will be based on wide basis of unplublished resources and secondary literature. Apart of materials from the Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (especially a secret funds of the territorial departments), I will use materials from the National Archives of the Czech Republic (funds of the Central Commitee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Gustáv Husák). To informations concerned of activities of the Czechoslovak intelligence I am intending to use funds from the Security Service Archive (ABS) and to informations about "special material" supplies funds from the...
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Between Global Ambitions and Economic Pragmatism: Czechoslovak Experts in Angola and Mozambique in the Cold War
Menclová, Barbora ; Kolenovská, Daniela (advisor) ; Koura, Jan (referee) ; Pešta, Mikuláš (referee)
In the mid-1970s, the Soviet Union and its allies, strengthened by the Helsinki Conference's success and the United States' international weakening after the defeat in Vietnam, launched a new global offensive. One of their priorities became cooperation with the newly established states in Sub- Saharan Africa - Angola and Mozambique. In addition to continued military support, the Eastern Bloc states invested in their industrialization, agriculture, and key infrastructure, which were supposed to contribute to the development of both states. In the case of Czechoslovakia, like other European socialist countries, sending experts to Angolan and Mozambican factories and other institutions became part of its foreign policy. By the end of the Cold War, several hundred Czechoslovak citizens had gained work experience in Angola and, later, Mozambique. The aim of the dissertation dealing with this key Czechoslovak foreign policy strategy in the broader Cold War context is to contribute to the current academic discussion on the forms of socialist globalization and the approach of the East to the Global South in the late Cold War. Based on the archival documents and interviews with witnesses, it explores Czechoslovakia's intentions in pursuing its expertise in these Lusophone countries after 1975. Further, it...
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Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant from the perspective of the anti-nuclear movement and diplomacy.
Křeček, Pavel ; Koura, Jan (advisor) ; Janáč, Jiří (referee)
The thesis deals with the Austrian nuclear power plant Zwentendorf, focusing on the development of the Austrian anti-nuclear movement and the impact of the referendum rejection of the Zwentendorf nuclear power plant on Czechoslovak-Austrian diplomatic relations. The Austrian anti-nuclear movement is set in a broader European and global context, within which the interconnection of the Austrian movement with the development of European protests against nuclear power is particularly examined. At the same time, the 1978 referendum on the Zwentendorf nuclear power plant, which was strongly influenced by the Austrian anti-nuclear movement, can be seen as the starting point of the ongoing Czech-Austrian diplomatic disputes over nuclear power plants. In this particular context, the thesis will focus on the influence of the nuclear energy issue on Czechoslovak-Austrian diplomatic relations between 1978 and 1989. Keywords Antinuclear movement, Zwentendorf, Austria, diplomacy, global history
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The transformation of the relationship between the United States of America and Taiwan in the years 1954-1973
Tiefenbachová, Klára ; Koura, Jan (advisor) ; Dluhošová, Táňa (referee)
The bachelor's thesis will deal with the transformation of the relationship of the United States of America towards Taiwan between 1954 and 1973. In the first part, it will analyze the reasons why the United States concluded a mutual defense treaty with Taiwan in 1954 and what position the island held in the American security strategy. The second part will focus on the 1970s, when there was a turn on Washington's part in relation to Taiwan due to the establishment of relations with the People's Republic of China, and the importance of the island in American foreign policy began to decline. The main goal of the work will be the evaluation of the transformation of the American approach. The thesis will be based on primary sources (Foreign Relations of the United States edition) and a wide range of secondary literature. Keywords Taiwan, United States of America, Cold War, People's Republic of China, security
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Political Processes with Rudolf Slánský and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg from the Transnational Perspective of Ideological Struggle of the Cold War.
Kováčová, Simona ; Koura, Jan (advisor) ; Randák, Jan (referee)
Focus of the thesis is on the trial with Rudolf Slánský in Czechoslovakia in 1951 and the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in the United States in 1951, which took place parallelly on the opposite sides of the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Its aim will not only be to compare these two trials, but also, with the use of the transnational perspective, to analyse the trials in both their respective and shared context. This is to point out their shared aspects, which from the traditional point of view, represent two opposite ideological perspectives. By incorporating political trials to the epicentre of the Czechoslovak and American political agendas during the 1950s, it is, via the use of examples such as antisemitism or construction of the image of an enemy in its respective societies, possible to examine permeability of an ideological barrier and construct in the American democracy as well as in the Czechoslovak state socialism. From the transnational perspective, with the use of secondary literature and primary sources such as the print media, audio and visual recordings, and textual transcripts of the trials, the thesis will attempt to provide a different and critical angle on the implementation of political trials by both the democratic and communist regimes, and overall, on their central...
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The Cyprus question in the foreign policy of the United States of America 1960-1974
Koura, Jan ; Kovář, Martin (advisor) ; Nálevka, Vladimír (referee)
As a result of World War II the Eastern Mediterranean became one of the most strategic regions in a rising bipolar system. The United States of America realized the geostrategical importance of Greece and Turkey and therefore they provided them with Truman doctrine financial support as a means of preventing infiltration of the Soviet Union to the region. Greece and Turkey assumed their important role in the security system of the West and therefore the United States had an interest in political and economical stability of the area. Nevertheless, from the fifties deep rooted historical tensions between Greece and Turkey intensified. The main reason for this was the Mediterranean island Cyprus, which was a traditional point of contention between both countries. The Cyprus Republic was founded in 1960 as a way of solving problems on the ethnically divided island and leading to pacify Greek-Turkish relations. However, the independence of Cyprus did not calm the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Events on the island created significant crises in 1964 and 1974; Greece and Turkey were in both years on the brink of mutual military confrontation. The United States took responsibility for the maintenance of the southeastern flag of NATO and from the end of the fifties started to be interested in the 'Cyprus...
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The Sino-Soviet Split, 1958-1964
Panák, Břetislav ; Horčička, Václav (advisor) ; Koura, Jan (referee)
The Sino-Soviet Split of the late 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s was a multidimensional crisis of nationalism, national interests, domestic politics, personal problems, cultural differences, border issues, Soviet-American détente, communication misunderstanding, and different interpretations of ideology. The goal of this diploma thesis is to analyse the important domestic and foreign factors which contributed to the worsening of Sino-Soviet relations. In this interdisciplinary study, the author wants to over bridge the differences between Diplomatic History and International Relations Theory, the subfields of History and Political Science. In the first part, there is an analysis of current Sino-Soviet Split historiography (Lorenz Lüthi, Sergey Radchenko, Xia Yafeng, Austin Jersild) by using theories of International Relations (liberalism, realism and constructivism). The second part provides a historical description of the Sino-Soviet Split. Emphasis is placed on the Chinese side and especially regarding the role of Mao Zedong. This thesis focuses on the period between 1958 and 1964, nevertheless it is neccessary to include preceding and subsequent phases of the relations. It is essential due to cultural, ideological and national factors. These factors endured a long time and it would be impossible to...
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