Economic History The Discipline and My Favourite Topic Antonie Doležalová, Prague IAS  2018 Rovaniemi 7th International Arctic Seminar STEM, Economics, Health Care, and Education January 31 – February 2, 2018 Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Rovaniemi

KUoPIO 1995

My Economic History History of Czech Economic Thought History of Economic Policy (Fiscal policy, Land reform) Mikuláš Teich and Alice Teichova Czech Economist J.V.Mládek www.bibliothecaeconomica.cz

Economic History Economic history is the history of facts and of economic events, as they relate to individuals, firms or communities. History of people The analysis of their relations and interactions with social, political and cultural events and institutions. History vs. Economics - Past-oriented vs. Future-oriented - “Short run” vs. “Long run” Economic history is the history of facts and of economic events, as they relate to individuals, firms or communities in a dynamic process of historical change.

Economic History of the Czech Lands I.

Economic History of the Czech Lands I1. Austro-Hungarian Empire The Commerce and Trades Licensing Acts of 1862 and 1859 (Between April 1867 and April 1873, Austria approved 1,005 applications to establish joint- stock companies; a third of them were operating in the Czech Lands) The national composition of the population The economic foundation of the Czechs within the Czech lands continued to consist of agriculture, handicrafts, retailing, the sugar-beet and sugar industries, beer and malt production and the distillery industry Only about 20-30% of the capital value of the industry in the Czech lands was in the hands of Czech entrepreneur

WWI, Post Bellum and the Central Europe 1. The economic face of the new Europe could be characterized by protectionism and self-sufficiency state interventionism with nationalization and state sector of economy (mixed economy) the move of state policies to the social issues justified by danger of bolshevism stigmatization of wealth questioning of the private ownership and search for the so-called third way between capitalism and socialism

Nationality Agric. Manufact. industry Transport Trade and banking Public services Other branches Czechs 26.9 39.3 7.0 7.6 5.7 13.7 Slovaks 59.8 19.0 5.1 4.2 3.5 8.4 Ukrainians 82.1 6.2 1.9 0.8 2.1 6.9 Germans 23.0 45.5 4.0 8.9 4.3 14.3 Hungarians 63.8 16.9 2.6 3.8 9.1 Poles 16.2 55.6 6.0 3.1 2.3 16.8 Jews 13.1 22.2 3.6 42.6 6.6 11.9

Czechoslovakia Nostrification Monetary reform Land reform

Land reform Land reforms were implemented in 23 European countries It resulted in the transfer of 20 million hectares of land Latvia (56%, 3.7 mill ha), Estonia (48%, 2.3 mill ha), Czechoslovakia (29%,4,063,644 ha), Romania, Lithuania, Greece, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Finland, Poland, Germany and Bulgaria

Results of the LR expropriated 4 068 370 ha ► 1 312 721 ha agricultural ► 2 755 649 ha non - agricultural allocated 1 800 782 ha ► 868 601 ha agricultural returned 1 831 920 ha stayed in expropriation 435 668 ha

Economy In 1930 the Czech Lands had 72% of the whole population of the country, but 92% of the industrial production. In 1910 more people in the Czech Lands were earning their living by working in industry than in agriculture; in Slovakia that shift had not been achieved until the late 1950s. In the interwar period Slovakia remained mostly an agrarian country, with agriculture manifesting a highly extensive character (on 10 hectares output was approximately equivalent to the 4 hectares in the Czech Lands).

Great Depression Czechoslovak exports fell from 21.2 billion ck to 5.9 billion in 1933 (in current prices), and in 1937 the level (12 billion) was still substantially bellow the pre-crisis level. The crisis also exposed the vulnerability of the structure of both exports and industrial production. In 1936-8 heavy industry was recovering relatively fast and managed to exceed the 1929 level. In contrast, such typical export-oriented branches as textile, glass and china porcelain industries, the manufacture of toys, musical instruments and imitation jewellery had by 1938 not been able to make up for the critical decline during the depression. This situation resulted in high rates of unemployment in the border regions - regions mainly inhabited by a German-speaking population.