Economic transformation and its impact on the Czechoslovak/Czech arms industry in the years 1989–2000

The bachelor's thesis analyzes the key transformation processes that affected the arms industry in Czechoslovakia and subsequently the Czech Republic after 1989. It focuses on privatization, restructuring and the transformation of defense policy in the context of the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. It traces the impacts of these changes on the ownership structure of enterprises, employment, production and foreign trade. The transformation is illustrated by the example of the enterprises Aero Vodochody, Sellier & Bellot and Tatra Kopřivnice, which represent different approaches to transformation. The research shows that the economic transformation had a predominantly negative impact on the arms industry, especially in the form of the collapse of traditional markets, a decline in production and employment. The thesis provides a connection between the macroeconomic context and specific enterprises and an assessment of how different transformation strategies influenced their further development.