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Youth organizations in Communist Czechoslovakia

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283:(SSM), and by mid-decade the skewed recruitment pattern of its predecessor, the Czechoslovak Union of Youth, which had recruited more students than workers, had reappeared. The recruitment effort had been more intense than ever. "I know of only two types of students at this institution," commented one teacher, "those who will not graduate and those who are members of the Czechoslovak Socialist Union of Youth." The nets had been cast so widely that, not surprisingly, some members were unenthusiastic. Throughout the 1970s, there were complaints about the organization's propensity to take any and all joiners (even "beatniks," one writer complained), the association's apolitical and recreational focus, and a membership bent more on securing admission to a university than learning "the principles of socialist patriotism." 103: 213: 22: 268:
the case of the KSČ, those who joined tended to do so with their future careers in mind; secondary school and university students were overrepresented, while only a fraction of the eligible industrial and agricultural workers belonged. Furthermore, a single, centralized organization was simply an inadequate vehicle for the interests of such a diverse group. During the
272:, the Czechoslovak Union of Youth split into a number of independent associations, including the Union of High School Students and Apprentices, the Union of Working Youth, and the Union of University Students. It was not a development the party found suitable, and beginning in 1969 party leaders set about reconstituting a unified movement. During the same era, the 331: 286:
In 1983 the Czechoslovak Socialist Union of Youth had a total membership of over 1.5 million. Twenty-five percent of the members were listed as workers, 3% as agricultural workers, and 72% as "others". Over the time the membership in Pionýr and SSM became more-less a formal duty; most of the members
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had a tumultuous history during the late 1960s and 1970s. As a feeder organization for the KSČ, it faced many of the same problems the party faced in recruiting members. In the mid-1960s, less than half of all 15- to 25-year-olds were members; in the mid-1970s, fewer than one-third had joined. As in
317:(AIESE) was first headquartered in Prague, but had to leave the country in order to stay politically neutral after the communists gained power. The organisation re-entered Czechoslovakia in 1966 and later became a member of the Socialistic Youth Union as an affiliated body of 252:; the reform movement revealed, however, a number of points of dissatisfaction. Czechoslovak adherence to the Soviet model extended to uniform dress (white shirts and red kerchiefs) and salutes, neither of which was popular among 260:. In addition, the Pioneer leadership was often less than devoted. In 1968, when the organization became voluntary, the number of leaders dropped precipitously; the resulting shortage persisted through the 1980s. 102: 155: 362: 199: 276:
spawned a number of dissident youth organizations. In the early 1970s, these were all infiltrated and repressed by the KSČ, a policy that continued throughout the 1980s.
151: 51: 114: 245:(ČSM, ages fifteen to twenty-five). Both organizations were geared toward grooming their members (or a fortunate fraction of them) for KSČ membership. 163: 135: 367: 131: 192: 159: 167: 127: 119: 249: 238: 171: 123: 280: 234: 185: 73: 273: 94: 147: 212: 313:
The communist takeover also affected independent youth organisations. In 1946 a newly formed international organisation
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type organisations that readied Czechoslovak youths for military training. It was very similar to the
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ignored actions organized by the Union and many local groups existed only on the paper.
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By the late 1960s, some 70% of all those eligible were members of the
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques
241:(Pioneers, for youngsters eight to fifteen years old) and the 15: 211: 237:("KSČ") formed two Soviet-style youth organizations: the 43:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks 193: 8: 363:Youth organizations based in Czechoslovakia 200: 186: 101: 85: 74:Learn how and when to remove this message 222:have always played an important role in 93: 7: 281:Czechoslovak Socialist Youth Union 14: 235:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia 329: 279:In 1970 the party organized the 20: 368:Czechoslovak Socialist Republic 95:Czechoslovak Socialist Republic 1: 265:Czechoslovak Union of Youth 243:Czechoslovak Union of Youth 384: 347:Federal Research Division 156:Health and social welfare 29:This article includes a 89:Part of a series on the 58:more precise citations. 216: 215: 152:Government structure 290:There was also the 220:Youth organizations 217: 31:list of references 224:political regimes 210: 209: 84: 83: 76: 375: 350: 333: 332: 202: 195: 188: 105: 86: 79: 72: 68: 65: 59: 54:this article by 45:inline citations 24: 23: 16: 383: 382: 378: 377: 376: 374: 373: 372: 353: 352: 342:Country Studies 339: 330: 327: 206: 177: 176: 174: 170: 166: 162: 158: 154: 150: 146: 142: 138: 134: 130: 126: 122: 118: 111: 80: 69: 63: 60: 49: 35:related reading 25: 21: 12: 11: 5: 381: 379: 371: 370: 365: 355: 354: 326: 323: 233:of power, the 208: 207: 205: 204: 197: 190: 182: 179: 178: 110: 107: 106: 98: 97: 91: 90: 82: 81: 39:external links 28: 26: 19: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 380: 369: 366: 364: 361: 360: 358: 351: 348: 344: 343: 337: 336:public domain 324: 322: 320: 316: 311: 309: 305: 301: 297: 293: 288: 284: 282: 277: 275: 274:1968 invasion 271: 266: 261: 259: 255: 251: 246: 244: 240: 236: 232: 231:1948 takeover 227: 225: 221: 214: 203: 198: 196: 191: 189: 184: 183: 181: 180: 175: 173: 169: 165: 164:Resource base 161: 157: 153: 149: 145: 141: 137: 136:Foreign trade 133: 129: 125: 121: 117: 116: 109: 108: 104: 100: 99: 96: 92: 88: 87: 78: 75: 67: 57: 53: 47: 46: 40: 36: 32: 27: 18: 17: 341: 328: 314: 312: 304:Soviet Union 296:paramilitary 289: 285: 278: 262: 247: 228: 218: 148:Demographics 113: 112: 70: 61: 50:Please help 42: 132:Agriculture 56:introducing 357:Categories 325:References 270:reform era 229:After the 160:Mass media 64:March 2012 144:Education 140:Transport 300:Scouting 168:Religion 128:Industry 120:Politics 292:Svazarm 258:Slovaks 172:Society 124:Economy 115:History 52:improve 338:. 319:AIESEC 308:DOSAAF 254:Czechs 250:Pionýr 239:Pionýr 37:, or 294:, a 263:The 256:and 306:'s 359:: 345:. 321:. 310:. 298:, 226:. 41:, 33:, 349:. 201:e 194:t 187:v 77:) 71:( 66:) 62:( 48:.

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Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
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