The
year 1989 meant a time for change for many different people across the world.
From Europe to South America, countries were changing, and people were
revolting. As Krishan Kumar quoted in his document, The Revolutions of 1989: Socialism, Capitalism, and Democracy, “’Socialism
is dead,’ agreed Ralf Dahrendorf…‘communism is gone, never to return,’” (Kumar
309).
Kumar
follows through with his statement about the death of socialism with the theory
that this death of socialism is coupled with the search for utopia. He argues
that if utopia was then known as socialism, then the death of socialism must
mean the death of utopia. But nonetheless, a utopian society was essential for
a community.
Vaclav
Havel even stresses the importance of a utopian society. In his document, Power of the Powerless, he states that, “for
what else are parallel structures than an area where a different life can be
lived, a life that is in harmony with its own aims and which in turn structures
itself in harmony with those aims?” (Kenney 27-28). Havel describes his theory
or parallel structures in which a parallel polis results from a second culture
of an independent and repressed culture. He essentially says that through
independence and release from repression, a community can live in peace and
harmony with one another.
Havel
played an important role in the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. He was
transformed from a playwright to the President of a new democratic
Czechoslovakia. The movie, The Power of
the Powerless follows the journey of the Velvet Revolution and the rise to
power of Vaclav Havel.
On
November 17, 1989, a communist-sanctioned commemoration of the 50th
anniversary of Jan Opletal’s death was being held (Kurtz 1). Opletal was
murdered by Nazi forces and was a symbol of Czech resistance. After this
ceremony ended, protesters moved into downtown Prague towards Wenceslas Square.
They were soon stopped and beaten by riot police.
Havel
held a meeting with Charter 77, which resulted in the creation of Civic Forum,
an organization that held public demonstrations (Kurtz 1). This group was
responsible for the riot of Czech citizens shaking their keys as a method to
end the regime. With the many protests and demonstrations held, eleven days
after the initial November 17th riot was held, drastic changes were
made. These changes are as follows:
- The resignation of the whole Politburo
- The creation of a compromise government
- The establishment of a democratic government
The Power of the Powerless film was very
helpful in guiding me through the events that took place in the Velvet
Revolution. As I’ve said before, actual footage and eyewitness accounts make
the events and actions seem more real to me since I obviously was not there
myself. Just hearing about it firsthand and seeing what was going on really
sticks with me. There was one part of the film where a couple of Czech students
were discussing the Velvet Revolution. They said that it disheartens them
whenever they talk about the Velvet Revolution and other people don’t really
know what that is. I mean, that is such a major event for their country, and
some people don’t even know about it. That would depress me, too! That would be
like people in America not knowing about World War II, or the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.
To
continue with Kumar’s document, he states that Czechoslovakia, along with many
other countries, “had socialism imposed on them by military force from outside,
[and] all show the desire to return to old symbols of nationhood,” (Kumar 318).
Czechoslovakia, in this instance, did not want to be under the influence of
communism or socialism. They simply wanted a peaceful change to democracy, like
many other countries. But, in order to do so, a revolution had to be
established to knock out the old regime.
Kumar
further investigates the similarities between both the 1989 and the 1848
revolutions. Both were “revolution[s] of the intellectuals,” led by poets,
musicians, philosophers, and professors (Kumar 325). The revolutions of 1848
brought up questions about nationality and class that resurfaced in 1989.
Polish and Czechoslovakian cultures collided in 1848, and were brought back
again in 1989. So, Kumar makes the point that history repeats itself, and
people must learn from it.
Kumar
also notes that Czechoslovakia’s Charter 77 during the Velvet Revolution, along
with the “democratic opposition” in Hungary and Solidarity in Poland, shared
many of the same characteristics (Kumar 330). They all shared wide-range
activities (samizdat publishing, political discussions in public settings, and
trade-union organizations).
In all,
the revolutions of 1989 and the Velvet Revolution of Czechoslovakia had a
lasting effect on the countries involved. The move to new governments through
large social organizations and riots brought the people together to achieve one
common goal: utopia.
~*~
Kenney, Padraic. 1989: Democratic Revolutions at the Cold
War's End : A Brief History with Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins,
2010. Print.
Kumar, Krishan. "The Revolutions of 1989: Socialism,
Capitalism, and Democracy." Theory and Society 21.3 (1992): 309-56.
Web. 8 Aug. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/657580>.
Kurtz, Lester R., Ph.D. "Czechoslovakia's Velvet
Revolution." International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (2008):
1-6. Print.
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