Illusions and Myths Associated with Economic Emancipation of the Czech Nation

Iluze a mýty spojované s hospodářskou emancipací českého národa

František Dudek

Acta Oeconomica Pragensia, 2007, vol. 2007, issue 7, 72-79

Abstract: An economic emancipation of the Czech nation was in progress in Czech Lands (Czechia) since half of the 19th century. It was based on agricultural production, food industry (primarily with beet-sugar industry) and on narrow network of financial institutions. Czech enterprises as compared to German enterprises in Czech Lands fell behind and their importance was small. However, Czech enterprises fully developed in decade before the World War I and their success was so high that contemporaries labelled it as "Czech miracle". This was not a case of Czech industrial capital share. It is estimated that 1/3 share belonged to the Czechs and remaining 2/3 shares to the Germans. However, according to new research, the Czech share was more like 1/5 instead of 1/3. For example, in sugar industry, a pillar of Czech capital, the Czechs owned only 24 % of plant value. Therefore, economically underdeveloped and politically not fully qualified Czech society raised its self-confidence by promoting illusions concerning its economic prevail. Paradoxically, these illusions and myths contributed to the accomplishment of economic emancipation of Czech nation. Therefore economically and politically self-confident Czech society could make resolution to create an independent state in the end of the World War I.

Keywords: historical illusions and myths; economic emancipation of Czech nation; Czech Lands (Czechia) in 1848-1914 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
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DOI: 10.18267/j.aop.179

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