Talk:Slánský trial

Slansky Trials

Aren't they generally known as the Slansky Trials, not the Prague Trials? -- TheMightyQuill 14:52, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

The Prague Trials is what I recall seeing in many sources. I understand that Slansky trial was one of the series, correct? If this title is confusing (Prague has a long history), we could rename this article to Prague Trials of 1952 or something like that. ←Humus sapiens ^ну? 19:53, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

"Slansky trial" finds 259 pages at books.google.com while "Prague trial" finds only 48 pages. Ahasuerus 21:45, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

I'm convinced. Should we use singular and lowercase "Slansky trial"? ←Humus sapiens ^ну? 21:52, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

The Slánský trial was just one, but they are collectively known as the Slánský trials. Lowercase is a good idea. I'm moving to Slánský trials with redirect from Slansky trial, Slansky trials, etc. -- TheMightyQuill 14:42, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

Nevery saw it (nowadays) in plural in Czech language, it is always "Slánského proces" (trial of Slansky). The set of all processed is labeled as "[political] processes of 50s" ("[politicke] procesy z padesatych let"). In English I never saw anything else but "Prague Trials" (and never in Czech). Pavel Vozenilek 12:30, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

The official label in 1950s was a long name ala "process with enemies of people and socialism". Unofficially and in newspapers at the time it was "process with gang of traitors around Slansky". Pavel Vozenilek 13:12, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

The closest book within reach of my desk, H. Gordon Skilling's Czechoslovakia's Interrupted Revolution 1976, refers to them as "the Slansky trials" (as well as the singular when referring to just Slansky's case). Plus there'sAhasuerus's google search above. The official title would be great though. Should we include it in Czech /w an English translation? -- TheMightyQuill 14:41, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

The most official name I can get (on website of ministry of interior, coudn't find the final court sentence though) is "Proces s protistátním spikleneckým centrem Rudolfa Slánského" (clumsily translated as "Process with anti-state conspiration center around Rudolf Slansky"). Several shorter names were used in print or publications. Long names and terms in Czech language subconsciously associate with something important and grave (as witnessed by bureaucratic speak). Pavel Vozenilek 18:58, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

Baseless Claim

The trials were the result of a split within the Communist leadership on the degree to which the state should emulate the Soviet Union, and were part of a Stalin-inspired purge of "disloyal" elements in the national Communist parties in Central Europe, as well as an anti-semitic purge of Jews from the leadership of Communist parties

There is absolutely no evidence that Jews were targetted for expulsion in East European Communist parties. During Stalin, the Jews Hilary Minc and Jakub Berman remained as top leaders in Poland until 1956. In Hungary, the Jews Matyas Rakosi and Erno Gero were in the top leadership until 1956.

I disagree-

"Jews were purged from the Romanian party and government post in these years, as they were in East Germany and Poland, two other countries where one faction of the party could mobilize popular anti-Jewish sentiment against the Party's own 'cosmopolitans.'...Hans Jendretsky, demanded Jews-'enemies of the state'-be excluded from public life..." - P. 184 "Postwar: a history of Europe since 1945" by Tony Judt

"...Two characteristics marked this trial out from all those preceding it. Prosocutors an witnesses repeatedly emphasized the Jewishness of most of the accused- 'the cosmopolitan Rudolf Margolius', Slansky...the great hope of all the Jews in the Communist Party,' 'representatives of international Zionism,' etc. 'Jewish origan' (sometimes 'Zionist origin') served as presumption of guilt, of anti-Communist, anti-Czech intentions..." p. 186 "Postwar: a history of Europe since 1945" by Tony Judt --Miglewis (talk) 19:41, 21 April 2011 (UTC)

See http://iseees.berkeley.edu/bps/publications/2009-08-Blumenthal.pdf --Miglewis (talk) 19:52, 21 April 2011 (UTC)

Opposition?

I think the idea that the trial was meant as a warning to opposition within the KSC is way off base. Slansky was not an opposition figure, nor were any of te others in thi group. Clementis was known to b a bit more Western oriented but he was hardly disloyal to the Party leadership. All accusations were staged and invented. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.233.216.211 (talk) 16:38, 23 October 2009 (UTC)

I think the trial was to create general atmosphere of fear, to discourage everyone from disobeying the Soviet union. Nazgul02 (talk) 11:27, 26 October 2009 (UTC)

Noel Field?

According to the book Double Lives by Stephen Koch, Noel Field was heavily connected to the Slánský trials... AnonMoos (talk) 23:30, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

I did a little googling, and it seems true... If you have that book, go ahead and write a paragraph or two about it. Nazgul02 (talk) 15:34, 5 February 2010 (UTC)