James Moffatt

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

Thesis

‘The Rudolf Battěk Case of Nonconformity in Normalised Czechoslovakia'

My research examines the relationship between the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (Komunistická strana Československa, KSČ) and informal opposition during the period of 'Normalisation' from 1968 to 1989. It focuses specifically on the KSČ's responses to Rudolf Battěk's persistent nonconformity over two decades, starting from his initial detention in September 1969 through subsequent arrests up to July 1989. The varying application of the penal code, from arrest to sentencing and post-trial treatment, reveals that the KSČ did not adopt a uniform or static approach to opposition. Responses were influenced more by changes in international diplomacy and perceived destabilising factors than by precedents.

This thesis analyses how the regime responded to evolving domestic and international contexts from the aftermath of the Prague Spring to the end of Communist rule. By scrutinising lesser-studied figures like Battěk, the thesis challenges existing narratives and asserts that the regime was more responsive when examining the personal sphere of nonconformists. The period studied has been categorised to delineate variations in regime reactions and treatment of nonconformists.

Despite challenges posed by censored and destroyed sources, my research draws on both nonconformist and regime (primarily StB) accounts to explore personal narratives of detentions and trials during Normalisation. Battěk's extensive incarcerations, spanning nearly ten years throughout the period of Czechoslovak history known as Normalisation, serve as a crucial case study for understanding the dynamics between nonconformists and the state throughout this era.

Funding sources

• Chizel Education Trust
• Cardiff University 
• Czech Ministry of Education
• Bill John Travel Scholarship (administered through Cardiff University)
• Pain Travel Trust

Biography

James is a postgraduate researcher and MPhil candidate at Cardiff University, specialising in Normalisation in Czechoslovakia. He previously read for his undergraduate degree (History BA (Hons)) at Cardiff University. He studied the Czech language at three universities in the Czech Republic: Palacký University in Olomouc, Masaryk University in Brno, and Charles University at its campus in Poděbrady.

Professional memberships

• British Czech and Slovak Association (BCSA)
• Czech National Trust (CNT)
• Postgraduate Member, Royal Historical Society (RHS).
• Reader, Bodleian Libraries.

Speaking engagements

• Speaker on the Communist Repression panel, Czechoslovak Studies Group Conference 2021 (University of Oxford)

Supervisors

Mary Heimann

Professor of Modern History

Tetyana Pavlush

Lecturer in Modern European History