- Coasts of Bohemia: The Politics and History of the Czech Lands and People

Catalog description

Examines the political fortunes of the Czech people from the Austro-Hungarian Empire through the founding of the First Republic after World War I, the periods of Nazi and Communist rule, and the return to democracy in 1989. Students study key figures such as Jan Hus (fifteenth-century religious reformer), Tomas Masaryk (founder of the First Republic), and playwright-turned communist dissident, who became president of a reborn Czech state-Vaclav Havel. Students read the narrative history of the period and explore relevant political analyses; they also watch films by famed Czech directors such as Milos Forman and Jiri Menzel.