The two decades between the World Wars represented the most successful period in the history of the republican party of farmers and small-holding farmers (Agrarian Party). This Party acquired the strongest political power, and by its participation in all governments at that time (with the exception of clerical ones) it crucially influenced the political and economic shape of the Republic. By exercising an elaborated tactic the Agrarian Party also penetrated the Czech and Moravian sugar industry, where it acquired crucial economic positions. This step influenced, inter alia, the structure of the agricultural lines of business, and was eventually reflected in the political and power benefits the Agrarian Party gained in rural areas. The majority of works covering this topic written in the pre-November era are mainly in the form of partial studies or chapters of collective proceedings. Furthermore, they carry traces of ideological bias against the practices of the Agrarian Party. It is then quite obvious that there is a great need of reviewing this issue. The grant project will therefore result in a synthesizing monograph carrying deeper and more accurate views of the development and changes of the sugar industry business and of the role played by the Agrarian Party during this process.

Results

The results of the project can be specified at three levels: presentation at scientific conferences at home and abroad (Prague, Uherske Hradiste, Wroclaw, Levoca), lectures and workshops for university students, elementary and secondary school teachers; publishing of partial studies in journals; publishing of a monograph „Sugar industry until 1938 and the Agrarian Party (with regard to Moravia and Silesia)“, 245 p. + 26 p. textual attachements + 32 image attachments; The monograph aims to create an integrated and comprehensive development of sugar industry in the Czech lands, and specializes in presentation of its forms in Moravia and Silesia. It consists of two main chapters, subdivided into the sub-chapters. The first chapter introduces the founding period, culminating on the eve of the First World War. At the beginning, the sugar industry was controlled by businessmen of the nobility, followed by the town, business and financial enterpreneurs. Gradually, the peasants were seeking to set up their own sugar factories. The monograph provides examples of complications in this business, which represented one of the leading jobs in the Czech lands. These activities are also connected with the sector of the sugar beet´s growers, where the influence of the Agrarian Party is gradually increasing. The second chapter presents the sugar industry as a key field of food industry in Czechoslovakia; the Czechoslovak Republic at that time was the third largest exporter of sugar in the world. Besides the fate of the Moravian-Silesian sugar factories there is described the ever-increasing connection with the Agrarian Party, which is documented in two sub-chapters that describe the business around J. Vaca and V. Stoupal. The monograph is supplemented by an exhaustive list of sources and literature, name and local indexes and textual and image attachment.

Publications