History
- Main articles: History of Czechoslovakia, History of Czechoslovakia 1948–1989 and 1989–1992
With the exception of the Prague Spring in the late 1960s, Czechoslovakia was characterized by the absence of democracy and competitiveness with the Western European nations as part of the Cold War. In the religious sphere, atheism was officially promoted and taught. In 1969, the country became a federation of the Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic.
Under the federation, social and economic inequities between the Czech and Slovak halves of the state were largely eliminated. A number of ministries, such as Education, were formally transferred to the two republics. However, the centralized political control by the Communist Party severely limited the effects of federalization.
The 1970s saw the rise of the dissident movement in Czechoslovakia, represented (among others) by Václav Havel. The movement sought greater political participation and expression in the face of official disapproval, making itself felt by limits on work activities (up to a ban on any professional employment and refusal of higher education to the dissident's children), police harassment and even prison time.
In late 1989, the country became a democratic country again through the Velvet Revolution. In 1992, the federal parliament decided to dissolve the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as of 1 January 1993.
Read more about this topic: Communist Czechoslovakia
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