A contribution to Czechoslovak-Yugoslav economic relations in the 1920s
Abstract
The study focuses on Czechoslovak-Yugoslav economic relations during the 1920s. Its aim is to analyze the reasons for their problematic development, which never fulfilled their potential enabled by the differing nature of the economies, close political ties, and membership in the Little Entente. The results, based on a review of secondary literature and archival research in Prague and Belgrade, identify the main causes of this failure as the character of Czechoslovak economic policy, its expansionist nature, and the rejection of Yugoslav imports. Furthermore, bilateral complications in negotiations on trade agreements, the introduction of import duties, and numerous disputes typical of Czechoslovak-Yugoslav trade cannot be overlooked. Economic relations that could have strengthened bilateral ties ultimately became their weakness.
References
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, fund (f.) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia – Personnel Department 1918-1945, Vol. II (MIP-PO), box (b.) no. 93, archival unit (a.u.) no. 297, “General Consulate of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Bratislava.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia – Consular and Economic Department 1919-1941, Vol. III (MIP-KPO), b. no. 236, a.u. no. 619, “General Consulate of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia – Consular and Economic Department 1919-1941, Vol. III (MIP-KPO), b. no. 313, a.u. no. 945, “International exhibitions and fairs in Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia – Consular and Economic Department 1919-1941, Vol. III (MIP-KPO), b. no. 402, a.u. no. 1309, “Economic cooperation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia with Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Headquarters of Industrial Corporations of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1923-1941 (1922-1941) (CIK), b. no. 75, a.u. no. 139, “Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Central Administration for Foreign Trade 1919-1920 (1919-1927) (CUT), b. no. 5, a.u. no. 7, “Incorporation, Activities and Concluding International Agreements”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918-1945 (MTI), b. no. 229, a.u. no. 694, “Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918-1945 (MTI), b. no. 229, a.u. no. 696, “Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918-1945 (MTI), b. no. 230, a.u. no. 698, “Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918-1945 (MTI), b. no. 231, a.u. no. 701, “Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918-1945 (MTI), b. no. 231, a.u. no. 703, “Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of Yugoslavia (AJ), Belgrade, f. Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918-1945 (MTI), b. no. 227, a.u. no. 692, “Czechoslovakia”.
Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (AMZV), Prague, f. IV. Section – National Economy (IVS), b. no. 376.
Archives of the T. G. Masaryk Institute (AÚTGM), Prague, f. Edvard Beneš I (EB I), b. no. 84, inventory number (inv. no.) 397, signature (sign.) R 1851.
Avramovski, Ž. (1983). Basic Factors Influencing the Foreign Policy Position of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In V. Šťastný, M. Šesták (Eds.), Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia from 1929 to the Collapse of Bourgeois Social, Political and Economic Systems. (319-333). Prague: Československo-sovětský institut. [In Serbian]
Balaban, M. (2016). Yugoslav-Czechoslovak Economic Relations between 1918 and 1938 (Doctoral dissertation). Brno, Masaryk University. Available at: https://is.muni.cz/th/rrotu/Milan-Balaban-dissertation__final_.pdf.
Balaban, M. (2024). Czechoslovak Capital in Interwar Yugoslavia: Economic Influence and Investments. Srpski istorijski časopis, VII (7), 174-202. doi:10.7251/SIC2407008B [In Serbian]
Cvetković, V. Lj. (2006). Economic Relations between Yugoslavia and France 1918-1941. Beograd: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije. [In Serbian]
Dimitrijević, B, Sretenović, S. (2008). Foreign Policy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes/Yugoslavia 1918-1941. Istorija 20. veka, XXVI (2), 44-84. [In Serbian]
Dimitrijević, S. (1958). Foreign Capital in the Economy of Former Yugoslavia. Beograd: Nolit. [In Serbian]
Đorđević, B. (1960). Overview of Treaty Trade Policy from the Establishment of the State of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to 1941. Zagreb: Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti. [In Serbian]
Dudek, F. (1983). On the Issue of Economic Development of Czechoslovakia in 1929-1938. In V. Šťastný, M. Šesták (eds.). Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia from 1929 to the Collapse of Bourgeois Social, Political and Economic Systems (421-435). Prague: Československo-sovětský institut. [In Czech]
Đurović, S. (1986). State Intervention in the Industry of Yugoslavia (1918-1941). Beograd: Institut za savremenu istoriju. [In Serbian]
Foreign Trade of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1928. Part II. (1930). Prague: Státní úřad statistický. [In Czech]
Hadžirović, A. (1983). Characteristics of the Economic and Social Structure in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1931-1941. In V. Šťastný, M. Šesták (eds.). Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia from 1929 to the Collapse of Bourgeois Social, Political and Economic Systems. (460-478). Prague: Československo-sovětský institut. [In Bosnian]
Holásek, P. (1983). Establishing Diplomatic Relations between Czechoslovakia and Successor States (1918-1922). Historický časopis, XXXI (5), 689-710. [In Slovak]
Hradečný, P. (1988). Political Relations between Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia in 1925-1928 in Foreign and Domestic Context. Praha: Academia.
Jančík, D, Kubů, E. (1999). Foreign Trade - An Active or Passive Factor of Foreign Policy? (Comparison of the Czechoslovak and German approaches in mutual relations). In: J. Valenta, E. Voráček (eds.). Czechoslovakia 1918-1938: The Fate of Democracy in Central Europe 1. (310-318). Prague: Historický ústav. [In Czech]
Kárnik, Z. (2002). The Czech Lands in the Era of the First Republic (1918-1938). Volume Two. Czechoslovakia and the Czech Lands in Crisis and Danger (1930-1935). Prague: Libri. [In Czech]
Kolářík, J. (1931). The New Czechoslovak-Yugoslav Trade Agreement. Slovanský přehled, 23 (1), 565-573. [In Czech]
Kosta, J. (1999). Foreign Trade of Czechoslovakia (1918-1937). In: J. Valenta, E. Voráček (eds.). Czechoslovakia 1918-1938: The Fate of Democracy in Central Europe 1. (335-346). Prague: Historický ústav. [In Czech]
Kovačević, R. (2015). World Trade and Industrialization of the Yugoslav Economy in the Period between the First and Second World Wars - Consequences of the Great Economic Crisis of 1929. Ekonomske ideje i praksa. 5 (18), 21-52. [In Serbian]
Kršev, B. (2007). Financial Policy of Yugoslavia 1918-1941. Novi Sad: Prometej. [In Serbian]
Kubů, E, Pátek, J. (2000). Myth and Reality of Czechoslovakia’s Economic Advancement Between the World Wars. Prague: Karolinum. [In Czech]
Lacina, V. (1976). Problems of the Sectoral Structure of Czechoslovak Industry in 1918-1930. In Československý časopis historický, 24 (6), 821-849. [In Czech]
Lacina, V. (1990). The Formation of the Czechoslovak Economy 1918-1923. Prague: Academia. [In Czech]
Lacina, V. (1994). Who Made Decisions in Economic Policy. In: L. Slezák, V. Lacina (eds.). In State Economic Policy in the Economic Development of the First Czechoslovak Republic. Prague: Historický ústav. [In Czech]
Lacina, V. (1995). Growth Rate and Stages of Economic Development in Interwar Czechoslovakia. In Český časopis historický, 93 (2), 223-243. [In Czech]
Lacina, V. (1996). Dynamics of Industrial Development in Interwar Czechoslovakia. In Český časopis historický, 94 (2), 281-302. [In Czech]
Lacina, V. (1997). Foreign Trade in the Years of the First Czechoslovak Republic. In Český časopis historický, 95 (1), 110-139. [In Czech]
Mićić, S. (2017). The Balkan and Danubian Concept of Yugoslav Foreign Policy (1925-1938). (doctoral dissertation). Beograd: Univerzitet u Beogradu. Available at: https://reff.f.bg.ac.rs/bitstream/handle/123456789/4141/Micic_Srdjan.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. [In Serbian]
Government Regulation of the Czechoslovak Republic of May 18, 1920. (1920). In Collection of Laws and Regulations of the Czechoslovak State, 3 (75), 993-994. [In Czech]
Pátek, J. (1992). Czechoslovak Banks and the International Credit Market. Hospodářské dějiny = Economic history. 20 (1), 113-126. [In Czech]
Pavel, J. (2004). Size and Structure of National Défense Expenditures in Czechoslovakia, 1918-1938. Prague: Národohospodářský ústav Josefa Hlávky. [In Czech]
Pirjevec, J. (2000). Yugoslavia 1918-1992. Prague: Argo. [In Czech]
Průcha, V. (1974). Economic History of Czechoslovakia in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Prague: Svoboda. [In Czech]
Průcha, V. (2004). Economic and Social History of Czechoslovakia 1918-1992. Brno: Doplněk. [In Czech]
Rašín, A. (1919). Speech of Finance Minister Alois Rašín, PhD, on Transitional Economy at the Meeting of the Young Generation of ČStD, December 13, 1918, in the Měšťanská Beseda, Prague II. Prague: Pražská akciová tiskárna. [In Czech]
Sládek, Z. (1976). Economic Relations Between Czechoslovakia and the Balkan Peninsula States in 1918-1938. Slovanské historické studie, 11 (1), 140-174. [In Czech]
Sládek, Z. (1985). Economic Cooperation of the Little Entente Countries in 1934-1938. In Istorija 20. veka, 3 (1), s. 33-68. [In Serbian]
Sládek, Z. (1988). The Economic Little Entente and Its Failure. In Historický časopis. 36 (6), 869-884. [In Czech]
Sládek, Z. (2000). The Little Entente 1919-1938. Prague: Karolinum. [In Czech]
Šesták, M. et al. (1998). History of the South Slavic Countries. Prague: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny. [In Czech]
Škerlová, J. (2014). Fidelity for Fidelity? Czechoslovak-Yugoslav Political Relations 1929-1934: Wishes, Variances, Reality. Masaryk University, Brno. Available at: https://is.muni.cz/th/k01v0/DIZERTACE_FINAL_IS.pdf. [In Czech]
Škerlová, J. (2015). Milan Hodža and the South Slav. In: V. Goněc, M. Pekník (eds.). Milan Hodža as an Actor in International Relations. Bratislava: Veda. [In Czech]
Tejchman, M, Škerlová, J. (2019). Czechoslovak-Yugoslav Relations. In: L. Hladký et al. (eds.). Czech Relations with the Nations and Countries of Southeastern Europe. Zagreb: Srednja Europa.
Vinaver, V. (1985). Contrasts Between Yugoslav and Czechoslovak Foreign Policy – A Contribution to the History of the Danube Region 1919-1929. In Zbornik Matice srpske za istoriju. 31 (1), 19-41. [In Serbian]
