Od ČSM k SSM přes SODM. Vývoj mládežnických organizací v českých zemích v druhé polovině šedesátých let 20. století
From the Czechoslovak Union of Youth to the Socialist Union of Youth via the Cooperation of Children and Youth Organisations. The development of youth organisations in the Czech Lands in the latter half of the 1960s

Summary/Abstract: The development of the organisational structure of the official youth movement in the latter half of the 1960s reveals, in a remarkable way, important changes that the attitude of young people towards official political elites underwent, especially in one of the most tumultuous periods of the modern Czechoslovak history. From various reasons, the original monopole organisation fell apart and a de facto organisation plurality took its place that, however, due to the starting normalisation era, had only short existence. It can be discussed whether the establishment of such plural pattern was possible also in the political sphere, but, attempts to draw such a parallel must be considered with an extraordinary caution. The organisation development of the Czechoslovak Union of Youth (ČSM) in the latter half of the 1960s proves, remarkably, the great importance of the seemingly formal organisational changes for the further development. Already around 1965, the ČSM had to cope with serious problems – the number of its members gradually declined as well as the share of members in the age of 14–26. In the time prior to mid-1960s, a great deal of basic organisations showed only formal existence, and the Union practically lost its influence on a considerable part of university students. The revival was expected from the program focused on creation of hobby-oriented groups, that, however, pertained only to a small portion of the membership basis of ČSM. The 5th congress of ČSM could not find a solution to mounting problems and to stop the decline in membership numbers. Yet, certain organisational changes were made that facilitated the democratisation processes in the following period. During the plenary session of the Central Committee of ČSM in March 1968, strong decentralisation and disintegration tendencies broke through that, practically, led to a decomposition of the monolith organisation and to an establishment of a number of new organisation based on shared interests (e. g. Union of Youth Clubs) or on affiliation to a certain age or social group (e. g. Union of Secondary School Students and Apprentices). The children organisation Pioneer became independent, however, it had to struggle with the competition from the renewed Czech Scouting (Junák) organisation. Unions of national minorities came into being. Instead of the existing ČSM, a creation of the new mutual umbrella organisation was deliberated that was, however, only to serve as a coordination agent in the children and youth movement and to guarantee the representation of this age group. The Czech national Cooperation of Children and Youth Organisations was established only in December 1968 after the invasion in Czechoslovakia, but it still respected full sovereignty of individual members organisations. The same was expected from the Federal Council of Children and Youth Organisations established in March 1969, that was, however, first set up in November that year under completely different circumstances of the starting normalisation era and with a different task – apart from the coordination activity, it was also supposed to manage the children and youth movement. From spring 1969, the Cooperation of children and youth organisations was threatened by Union of Youth (later Lenin’s Union of Youth, LSM), an organisation close to radical dogmatic groups within the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Gradually, the co-optation of LSM representatives to the leading board of the Cooperation of Children and Youth Organisations took place on all levels and even to the Federal Council of Children and Youth Organisations. The children and youth organisations went through harsh cleansing period that were aimed mostly at functionaries defending their independent position. The district associations of children and youth organisations were swiftly turning, in 1970, into preparation committees for the newly established, unitary youth organisation Socialist Union of Youth (SSM). This was officially set up in October 1970 for the Czech Socialist Republic, on the federal level a month later.

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