Translating Taiwan behind the Iron Curtain
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| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Taiwan and Czechoslovakia stood on the opposite sides of a conflict that dominated the second half of the 20th century – the Cold War. Taiwanese historical, cultural and economical development was reflected even in such a distant European country that Czechoslovakia was. Taiwanese turbulent political changes were use studied, exploited, misused and followed not only by the Czechoslovak Communist regime, but also by Czechoslovak dissidents and anti-communist activists groups. On a case study of Taiwan and Czechoslovakia, I want to show the democratic trends that first spread in Taiwan in the 1980s decade had their own, although limited impact in a far away European region. Wide-ranging manipulation with Taiwanese history can be visibly seen in Czechoslovak newspapers and textbooks. Communist propaganda, although interestingly, but also quite predictably describe or omit development and chosen events in Taiwan. However, after decades of manipulation, Taiwanese democratic changes in the 1980s after lifting the Martial Law did not come unnoticed by Czechoslovak dissident community. Naturally, majority of the information that leaked to the country were disoriented or sketchy, but it raised hope and inspiration among dissidents that culminated during the Velvet Revolution in 1989. What kind of lesson and example did Taiwan spread? How did the dissidents and religious groups, one of the main carries of democratic activities in the country, understood and perceived Taiwanese transition to democracy? Newspapers, reports of Czechoslovak Politburo, textbooks and underground literature will be used as a source. |