Václav Klofáč and the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party

Abstract

The Czechoslovak National Socialist Party powerfully influenced Czech politics during the last two decades of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy (1898–1918) and contributed greatly to the formation, consolidation and political stability of the first Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38). The first part of this essay surveys through five turbulent decades the changing goals and tactics of this party, known officially as the Czech National Socialist Party from 1898 to 1918, as the Czechoslovak Socialist Party from 1918 to 1926, as the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party from 1926 to 1938 and again as the Czechoslovak Socialist Party from 1945 to 1948. The second part of this paper examines the ideas and politics of Václav Jaroslav Klofáč (1868–1942) — the party’s foremost leader from 9 April 1898, when he helped to found it, until 18 November 1938, when it was forcibly absorbed into the Party of National Unity — with a view to understanding his formidable influence on the development both of the party and of the Czechoslovak Republic.¹