Abstract:
Czechoslovakia is a nation consisting of two different republics. The Czech and Slovak republics, though close in proximity, are vastly different because of their separate histories. The Czech's have historically been greatly influenced by the intellectually and culturally advanced societies of Austria and Germany while the Slovak's have been mainly controled by the underdeveloped society of Hungary. These influences, along with those of the communist rule, have enabled Czechoslovakia to be the most successful of the formercommunist Eastern European nations in introducing a capitalist economy into its society.Since the fall of the communist regime, Czechoslovakia has undergone radical changes to try to improve the quality of life for its people. There has been some opposition to the radicals in the government due to a few of the negative short-term effects of the transition from communism to capitalism, such as unemployment and scarcity of consumer goods, but the foreseen long-term benefits of capitalism are acknowledged by the majority of the people. With the privatization of business and price liberalization, plans are developing for more investment from foreign countries furthermore, the Czech and Slovak people are expecting better lives in the future what they experienced under communist rule.
