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February 1948. Could it have been prevented, but did we want to? After World War II, Czechoslovakia stood at the crossroads between democracy and Soviet influence. How much choice did it have then? And what role did the West and the Soviet Union play in its decision-making? In this episode, we analyze myths, mistakes, and missed opportunities with Vít Smetana, a historian from the Institute of Contemporary History of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Moderation and editing: Anna Kuchařová // Mastering: Šimon Kukač The episode was created with the support of the IOCB Tech Endowment Fund. Topics: 00:00: Intro 00:23: The attitude and position of Czechoslovakia after World War II 07:07: The impacts of the policy of exile representation 09:12: Was Edvard Beneš pro-Soviet? 22:01: The Reality of the Marshall Plan 27:24: The Americans' Failure to Liberate Prague 34:52: From Democracy to Totalitarianism 41:04: Farewell 41:17: Outro