The economic policy of the Czechoslovak governments in the years 1945-1953

The bachelor’s thesis focuses on the economic policy of the Czechoslovak governments in the years 1945–1953, a period representing a crucial stage in the modern—economic as well as political and social—history of Czechoslovakia. After the end of the Second World War in 1945, the country entered a process of post-war reconstruction, which in the following years was accompanied by profound political, economic, and societal changes. The aim of the thesis is to analyse the main objectives and approaches of the post-war economic policy pursued by the Czechoslovak governments during this period, to evaluate its instruments and measures, and to place them within the context of the development of the post-war economy and the transition from a market system to a centrally planned one. The theoretical part defines fundamental concepts related to economic and social policy, their mutual relationships and differences, as well as their instruments and objectives. The practical part describes and analyses specific economic-policy events from the post-war period. It examines particular developments such as the Two-Year Plan of Reconstruction, the First Five-Year Plan, and the monetary reform, and traces their connections to the broader transformation of the national economy. The thesis also shows how economic policy influenced the functioning of the economy and the everyday life of the population. The outcome of the thesis is a comprehensive overview of the development of economic policy in the post-war period.