sk, Socialistický zväz mládeže , colorcode = red , logo = Emblem of Socialist Youth Union of Czechoslovakia.svg , caption = Emblem , logo2 = , caption2 = , preceded by =

Czechoslovak Youth Union Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948� ...

, founded = 1970 , dissolved = 1990 , headquarters =

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

Czechoslovak Socialist Republic The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, ČSSR, formerly known from 1948 to 1960 as the Czechoslovak Republic or Fourth Czechoslovak Republic, was the official name of Czechoslovakia from 1960 to 29 March 1990, when it was renamed the Czechoslovak ...

, ideology = , mother party = Communist Party of Czechoslovakia , international = World Federation of Democratic Youth , membership = 1.6 million (1982) , national = National Front of Czechs and Slovaks , newspaper = SSM clenska legitimace

The Czechoslovak Socialist Youth Union (SSM) was a mass organization which served as the youth wing of the

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...

in the

from 1970 to 1990. It existed alongside the

Pioneer Organization The Pioneer Organization ( ro, Organizaţia Pionierilor) was a pioneer movement in Communist Romania, founded on April 30, 1949. Most students joined the organization while in the second grade and remained pioneers throughout eighth grade, there ...

, which was geared towards younger children who were expected to join the SSM in their teens. Membership stood at 1.6 million in 1982. It was created as a successor to the Czechoslovak Union of Youth, which ceased to exist in the wake of the

invasion of Czechoslovakia The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia refers to the events of 20–21 August 1968, when the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by four Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Rep ...

in 1968. It provided both physical and ideological education to the youth of Czechoslovakia, and membership was highly encouraged for career-minded young people. Recruitment was intense, especially in educational institutions, to the point that many of the organization's members were unenthusiastic about the communist cause, leading some to complain that even

beatniks Beatniks were members of a social movement in the 1950s that subscribed to an anti-materialistic lifestyle. History In 1948, Jack Kerouac introduced the phrase "Beat Generation", generalizing from his social circle to characterize the under ...

were allowed to join its ranks. The SSM was organized on national, regional, and local levels and operated a large number of educational, art, and sporting facilities. The SSM was dissolved at its final congress in January of 1990, following the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution ( cs, Sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution ( sk, Nežná revolúcia) was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations agains ...

and the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia.

References

Youth organizations based in Czechoslovakia Youth wings of communist parties 1990 disestablishments in Czechoslovakia {{Communist-youth-org-stub

See also

References