UNIVERSITY
COMMUNIST SLOVAKIA
Life, Power & Survival Behind the Iron Curtain
Fear. Hope. Compromise. Survival.
For more than four decades, Slovakia lived behind the Iron Curtain.
Communism promised equality, security, and a better future. But it also brought censorship, surveillance, political trials, labour camps, shortages, and fear.
In this four-week pop-history masterclass, we explore how communist rule shaped Slovakia — from the brutal Stalinist 1950s to the Prague Spring, everyday life under socialism, and the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
A story of ideology, obedience, resistance, nostalgia, and memory.
A difficult history.
A necessary conversation.
Communism was not just a political system.
It shaped how people worked, studied, travelled, spoke, dreamed, and survived.
Some remember it as a time of stability, housing, education, and social security. Others remember censorship, fear, limited freedom, and lost opportunities.
What you get:
4 Expert-Guided Sessions
Rich LIVE lectures led by historian Vladimír Štrama
Historical Clarity
Discover how one extraordinary decade that changed everything in Slovakia.
Watch Anytime, Anywhere
Stream the full course at your own pace — on your schedule
Program Schedule
Week 1:
5 November
The Brutal 1950s
Building Socialism Through Fear
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How a democratic Czechoslovakia became a communist dictatorship almost overnight
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Political trials, prisons, and labour camps: the enemies of the new regime
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Collectivisation and the war against the countryside: remaking rural Slovakia
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Why so many people supported the regime despite the repression
Week 2
12 November
The Prague Spring and Normalisation
The Dream That Ended Beneath Soviet Tanks
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Socialism with a human face: Alexander Dubček and the hopes of 1968
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Why the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia and crushed the Prague Spring
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Normalisation: how the regime rebuilt control after 1968
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Why millions of people stopped believing in communism but continued to obey
Week 3
19 November
Everyday Life Under Communism
How Ordinary People Navigated the System
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Work, housing, healthcare, and education: what communism gave its citizens
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Queues, shortages, and the black market: surviving the economy of scarcity
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Pioneers, Spartakiads, and state television: growing up under communist rule
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Was life really better under communism? Memory, nostalgia, and historical reality
Week 4
25 November
How and Why Did Communism Collapse?
The Road to the Velvet Revolution
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Why the communist economy stopped working and the system began to stagnate
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Gorbachev, reform, and the collapse of Soviet power in Eastern Europe
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From candles to keys: the events that brought down communism in Czechoslovakia
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Why nobody came to defend the regime — and why some people still miss it today
Why This Masterclass is a Must-Enroll?
Expert-Guided Learning
Led by historian Vladimír Štrama, gain a rich and nuanced understanding of Eastern Europe’s past and present.
Unique Insights
Go beyond textbooks with deep historical, cultural, and geopolitical context you won’t find anywhere else
Flexible & Self-Paced
Learn on your own time — rewatch sessions anytime, anywhere.
Connect to Global Heritage
Join hundreds of learners around the world who’ve taken this journey to rediscover their roots and expand their worldview.
Meet Your Instructor
My name is Vladimír Štrama
Bio Highlights:
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BA Philosophy & History — University of Exeter (UK)
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MSt Modern European History — University of Oxford (UK)
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Former researcher at Institute H21 (Prague)
Areas of expertise:
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Eastern & Central European history
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National identity and myth-making
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Empires, democracy, and geopolitical thought
Teaching style:
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Clear, structured, accessible — bridging academic research with public understanding.
Who This Is For
Learners interested in Slovak history, communism, and the Cold War
People seeking deeper understanding of life behind the Iron Curtain
Students, professionals, journalists, educators, and history lovers
Those seeking historical context beyond nostalgia, propaganda, and personal memory.
Sarah
The course brought Central European history to life — not just dates, but the why behind centuries of change.
Nick
The discussions were open, engaging, and deeply thoughtful. Questions weren’t just welcomed — they shaped the learning.
Thomas
The perfect balance of depth and breadth. Four fascinating, beautifully connected talks that completely reshaped how I understand Central Europe.
