N00 - Economic History: GeneralReturn

The study is focused on identification of spiritual factors in entrepreneurship and management. The author uses Weber's thesis as a starting point for the processing of general spiritual concepts which have a major impact on the emergence, development and maintenance of the economic environment, business and management. The clarification of a fundamental understanding of the phenomenon of spirituality is followed by a description of spiritual factors in entrepreneurial and managerial activities looking for a "new spirit of capitalism" today. The practical part is devoted to provision of a proof of spiritual influences on business and economic developments in the world (selection of studies). The work culminates in original research into positive and negative spiritual factors and potentials of entrepreneurship and management among selected entrepreneurs and managers in the Czech Republic. The collected factors and potentials are summarised, evaluated and proposed for use in entrepreneurial and managerial practice or as an impulse for managerial training.

The article deals with the question of the present position of economic history as a theoretical framework of scientific specialization and university study branch in the Czech Republic. It focuses on the Central European tradition and analyzes reasons for the connection between economic and social history. It concentrates on the question whether economic history can exist as an autonomous discipline, on which theoretical basis economic history could be built, and from where to derive methodological inspiration. The authors claim that currently the social historians do not consider the connection with economic history as pivotal. They regard the position of economic history as inferior and according to them the dominant role of social history prevents them from dynamic methodological development. They believe that possible alternatives of the future development of economic and social history lie in three potential solutions: a) continuation of the current "defensive" concept of economic and social history; b) separation of economic and social history and their autonomous shaping; c) concept of "offensive" integrating socio-scientific approach.

The study analyses the attitude of Italy towards Czechoslovak plans for strengthening the status quo in Central Europe and the Danube Basin, which were of both economical and political nature. Czechoslovakia unsuccessfully tried to create a grouping of small and medium-sized states, which was supposed to lead to consolidation of that region. The reason was the fear of future economical and political pressure of Germany and of Italian power politics. Italy should stay out of this bloc. Czechoslovak plans were refused by Rome unequivocally as Italy aimed at establishing its own hegemony in Central Europe and the Danube Basin. Such contradictions resulted not only in further deterioration of Czechoslovak-Italian relations but also in deterioration of personal relations between the leading politicians of both countries. Finally, Edvard Beneš, the Czechoslovak foreign minister, became regarded as an enemy of Italy and Fascism by the Italians.
The study is based on unpublished Italian, Austrian and Czechoslovak sources as well as on secondary literature.

Right after the establishment of Czechoslovakia, it was evident that foreign trade would play an important role in the economy of the new state. The narrow domestic market forced Czechoslovak producers to look for new foreign sales opportunities. With respect to historical ties, they were mainly interested in exports to succession states and Germany. However, the post-war conditions did not favour a considerable export expansion hampered by high tariff barriers restricting access to the markets of succession states. The second half of the 1920s became the most successful phase in the development of interwar export. To a large extent, Czechoslovak enterprises showed good adaptability to changes in foreign demand and took advantage of the contemporaneous boom in world trade. By contrast, the Great Depression disclosed the unfavourable consequences of Czechoslovakia's dependency on export results. Unfortunately, a slow reaction of both the Czechoslovak government and industry to the new situation, together with other problems, led to decreasing Czechoslovakia's share in total European exports.

This article deals with the situation in the Chinese economy at the time of communist takeover. It brings a basic characteristic of the Chinese economy including its large problems. The study is also trying to analyse the first steps of the new communist government that immediately impacted on the Chinese economy. It aims at providing readers with an unbiased view of economic situation that could help them with forming their own opinion of new economic strategy's success (or failure).