Czech National Social Party

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Czech National Social Party
Česká strana národně sociální
Image:Csns logo.PNG
Leader {{{leader}}}
Founded 1898
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Political ideology Democratic nationalism, Progressivism, Centre-left
International affiliation {{{international}}}
European affiliation {{{european}}}
European Parliament group {{{europarl}}}
Colour(s) 3 colours of Czechoslovakia: Red, Blue and white
Website {{{website}}}

Czech National Social Party is a nationalist party established in 1898 within the Young Czech Party (National Liberal Party) as a nominally socialist group with a stress on achieving Czech independence from the Habsburg Empire (as opposed to the international revolution of the Social Democratic Party, which was the largest Czech socialist group at that time).

Despite the apparent connotations of the name, the party was not directly affiliated with the German German Nazi Party. In Czechoslovakia, most Czech fascists were vehemently anti-German.

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[edit] History

Leadership of the Czech National Social Party was soon assumed by Václav Klofáč. An important role was played by Jiří Stříbrný and Emil Franke as well. The party platform rested on the recalled social traditions of Hussitism and Taboritism, but it was also a programme of "collectivizing by means of development, surmounting of class struggle by national discipline, moral rebirth and democracy as the conditions of socialism, a powerful popular army, etc."

In 1918 the party changed its name from Czech National Social Party to the Czech Socialist Party, in 1919 to Czechoslovak Socialist Party and then in 1926 to the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party. Edvard Beneš took actual party leadership, although nominally it was his ally Václav Klofáč. Jiří Stříbrný and his friends were expelled, for connections to Radola Gajda and his fascist movement.

From 1921, the party was part of most Czechoslovak government coalitions. Its newspaper was the České slovo. In 1938, a part of the Czech membership entered into the Party of National Unity led by Rudolf Beran, while few of its Slovak members joined the Hlinka Slovak People's Party led by Josef Tiso.

Under German occupation, the Czechoslovak National Socialist Party functioned in exile and most of its members were active in the resistance movement. After 1945, the party resurfaced, under the leadership of Petr Zenkl, as one of the parties in the National Front. When Czechoslovakia became a communist state in 1948, the party was again renamed the Czechoslovak Socialist Party and democrats were expelled for being too close to the Czech fascist movement.

After the return to democracy in 1989, the National Front was abolished. The party renamed itself the Liberal National Social Party (Liberální strana národně sociální), but failed to gather any significant support and was reduced to minor party status. This led in 1995 to a merger with the Free Democrats, to form the Free Democrats - Liberal National Social Party. After failing in the 1996 elections, the party split and was renamed again in 1997 to the Czech National Social Party.

Having had no political success for years and crippled by financial debts, the party has almost disappeared.

[edit] Name Changes

Name Year
Czech National Social Party (Czech: Česká strana národně sociální) 1898 - 1918
Czech Socialist Party (Czech: Česká strana socialistická) 1918 - 1919
Czechoslovak Socialist Party (Czech: Československá strana socialistická) 1919 - 1926
Czechoslovak National Socialist Party 1926 - 1948
Czechoslovak Socialist Party (Czech: Československá strana socialistická) 1948 - 1993
Liberal National Social Party (Czech: Liberální strana národně sociální) 1993 - 1995
Free Democrats - Liberal National Social Party (Czech: Svobodní demokraté - Liberální strana národně sociální) 1995 - 1997
Czech National Social Party (Czech: Česká strana národně sociální) From 1997

[edit] Election results

  • 1920 National Assembly: 8.1 % - 27 seats
  • 1925 National Assembly: 8.6 % - 28 seats
  • 1929 National Assembly: 10.4 % - 32 seats
  • 1935 National Assembly: 9.2 % - 28 seats
  • 1946 National Assembly: 18.3% (23.7%) - 55 seats

[edit] since 1990

[edit] References

  1. Karel Hoch: The Political Parties of Czechoslovakia.
  2. Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn: Leftism Revisited, Regnery Gateway, Washington D.C., 1990, pp. 145-146.
  3. Malá encyklopédia Slovenska, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava 1987

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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