Social Developments during the Second World War

Abstract

Social developments in the Czech Lands over the period September 1938–May 1945 represent an extraordinary phenomenon, above all because of the intentional and violent interruption of historical continuity by external forces. The continuity of the state existence, of its territorial basis, of the development of the national economy and social relationships was either totally interrupted or limited to such an extent that a substantial change in the daily life of every family was immediately visible. The discontinuity also explains the lack of statistical data comparable with the series presented in Chapter 10. We are thus forced to use data and other information drawn mainly from literary sources in this chapter, mostly Professor Průcha’s working paper of the late 1960s (Průcha, 1970b, pp. 3–49) or from its re-edition in (Kalinová, 1993a, pp. 50–76). Where no other mention is made, the published data come from these sources. Shortly before finishing the typescript of this book, two new important literary sources appeared (Kural, 1994; and Kučera, 1994).