Publication details
Komparace systémových projevů totalitního panství NDR a Československa v letech 1953–1968 v rovině politického pluralismu a způsobů jeho potírání
| Title in English | Comparative analysis of the system symptoms of the totalitarian rule in the GDR and Czechoslovakia in 1953-1968 on the level of political pluralism and techniques of its oppression |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2010 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Slovenská politologická revue |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://revue.kpol.ff.ucm.sk/archiv/2010/1/maskarinec.pdf |
| Field | Political sciences |
| Keywords | Czechoslovakia; German Democratic Republic; communist regimes; post-war Eastern Europe 1953-1968; political pluralism; oppression; security apparatus; MfS; Stasi; StB |
| Description | The article tries to deal with the communist regimes in the GDR and Czechoslovakia in the period 1953-1968. The author applies theory of J. J. Linz and his axe of limited pluralism to compare basic differences and resemblances in evolution of the system symptoms of the totalitarian rule in these countries. Main areas of investigation are security apparatus – Státní bezpečnost (StB) and Staatssicherheit (Stasi) – and justice system as the most important techniques of oppression. The author concludes that during the 1950‘s both regimes used resembling strategies (political trials as instrument of suppression of political opponents). At the end of the 1950‘s however both regimes started to substitute political trials for introduction of pervasive surveillance on the whole society; tactic continuing during whole 1960‘s. During this period however in both countries took place significant changes, differentiating evolution of the system symptoms of the totalitarian rule. At the beginning of the 1968 thus regimes in the GDR and Czechoslovakia was situated on the opposite side of the axe of limited pluralism. While in the Czechoslovakia power of the StB was turned down as the instrument of mass persecution, evolution in the GDR was characteristic by dramatic growth of the Stasi apparatus and its role as the instrument of pervasive surveillance, which was henceforward able to perform its role as the instrument of mass persecution. |