History on the 8’s lecture: Czechoslovak Exile After 1948

About the Lecture:

The exile after the coup in 1948 and the fate of Czechs abroad, who sought the return of freedom and democracy to their homeland, enslaved by the Communists, are an integral part of our modern history. However, this phenomenon is still neglected and the general public has only fragmentary information about it.  Researchers are still unable to agree on the intensities of individual waves of emigration between 1948 and 1989. The first periodicals were published and the first seeds of political activity were born and later developed by numerous exile groups and entities. Despite the promising start and international support, the so called Council of Free Czechoslovakia, meant as the umbrella body for the entire exile, writhed in crisis, fell apart, and reunited again. The council’s members were wasting time with endless quarrels and were continuously losing the confidence of the exile public and their donors from the US government. Dr. Nekola will discuss all aspects of the Czechoslovak Cold War exile (with a particular focus on the US) in his contribution.