Český bestiář - Pátraní po smyslu českých dějin – Liška Vladimír (2006)

What is the meaning of the history of the Czech nation, which, although not large, is extraordinarily rich in historical twists due to its location in the heart of Europe, a trait usually boasted only by large and ancient nations? This is certainly because our space is an amalgam of various cultural influences, the most absorbed being the German one. The Czech-German relations have shaped our national consciousness more than we usually admit. If we look at the key phases of our history – the first wars with the Franks, Great Moravia, the Přemyslid state, the rule of the Luxembourgs, the Hussite movement, the Battle of White Mountain, the Dark Age, the Theresian reforms, the national revival, the Czechoslovak Republic, the Protectorate, the post-war expulsion of Sudeten Germans, the Prague Spring of 1968, normalization, the Velvet Revolution, and entry into the European Union – everywhere the encounters between the Czech and German nations will be reflected in the foreground or background of events. Throughout this historical overview, the author strives to provide a clear analysis of the essence of this powerful symbiosis against the backdrop of events, the evaluation of which sharply diverges in various history textbooks. Even on such a complex issue, Vladimír Liška discusses it in an understandable and readable language, maintaining a perspective on questions that have often been existentially acute for our nation.