21. Czechoslovakia

Question 1

Give 3 issues Czechoslovakia had that were common to all members behind the iron curtain

Answer 1

• it was a one party communist state
• it had to answer to Moscow as a member of the Warsaw Pact
• opposition was banned

Question 2

Who was Czech leader since 1957, what was his popularity like ?
Why

Answer 2

Antonin Novo Tony,
2) unpopular as he was a hard line communist who bare followed soviet rule and refused to introduce reform. He was slow to follow krushcev’s de-stalinisation and political prisoners under Stalin

Question 3

What was the economy like in 60s for Czech
Why (what did Su do )

Therefore what happened …

Answer 3

1) economy at serious decline and this led to a fall in standard living
- this because Su forced Czech to make materials like steel for the Su, yet in actual fact the Czech economy needed those raw materials themselves .
- Su also stopped factories here making consumer goods.
Therefore in 1962-3 national income fell

Question 4

What did novotny try to do o save the economy and when

As it didn’t work what it lead to

Answer 4

1965

• made his own NEW ECONOMIC MODEL
• however unsuccessful since they focussed in producing a surplus of consumer goods but people couldn’t afford them at all

Many people demanding greater democracy

Question 5

Who called for reform in Czechoslovakia during novotny’s rule and what did he suggest? When

2) what happened then when Brezhnev came

Answer 5

October 1967 reformers including Alexander dubcek and ota silk economist challenged his leadership at a meeting at the central committee of the communist party.

2) in December dubcek invited Brezhnev to Prague. Here bresheneb surprised at the opposition to novotny. Here he would withhold support for him immediatel…

Question 6

What then happened to novotny ? (Who replaced him’)

Answer 6

January 1968 after he was forced by the soviet government to be replaced as first secretary if the communist party by dubcek.

In March, he resigned as president and replaced by general Ludovikas sboboda supported by Su .

Question 7

What was the Prague spring and when introduced

What was this dubbed as ?

Answer 7

A series of reforms introduced by dubcek in spring of 1968. Czechs called it socialism with a human face .

Here re emoted the worst features of communism, but Moscow didn’t like

Question 8

What reforms were made politically reasoned

Answer 8

• introduced free elections
• opposition parties were allowed

Multi party state wood be introduced, making a new form of democratic socialism

Question 9

Give 3 of dubcek’s reforms that improved economic / socio circumstances

Answer 9

• allowed trade with west too
• allowing the formation of trade unions to improved workforce
• removed state controls on industry so people could start up their own businesses

Question 10

Give 3 reforms of dubcek’s that allowed for greater freedom

All’s how was the secret police affected

Answer 10

• end of press censorship
• free speech
• gave people the right to travel to non communist countries, including trade them such as west Germany
• secret police were stripped of ability to imprisonments without trial.

Question 11

What happened to the press censorship reform , how deep?

Answer 11

£ by March 1968 newspapers printing uncensored discussions of the political and social Problems

• coverage on radios fuller
• corruption and burrearactic delays were exposed by the media
• communist party leaders were grilled love on television

Question 11

What were the reactions to the reforms

2 main things to come of it

Answer 11

Encouraged opponents of communism to demand for more radical reforms

1) for example in June 1968 social democrats began tk from a rival party to the communist party
2) Ludvik vaculik , journalist, published a manifesto entitled the two THOUSAND WORDS (where he called in the Czech Mandem to twke imitative and force even more reform)

Question 12

Why was Czech so important for the Warsaw Pact , and thus leaving th Su worried?
3 reasons
(Third one, what would happen if they leave ?)

Answer 12

1) it was centrally loaded and
2) had the strongest industry out of the res
3) if Czech may leave the Warsaw Pact, nato would move in .
- this would split the entire eastern bloc in two and advance NATO’s frontier 700km east , so that it borderd the Su itself,

Question 13

Why was Brezhnev (new su leader) and other members of the Warsaw Pact concerned by the Prague spring?

Answer 13

As Brezhnev needed to maintain control without causing more issues

Question 14

How was the Prague spring situation made worse?

Answer 14

When Poland called for reforms to be allowed

Question 15

Thus what were the consequences of the Prague spring leading to the invasion? (Why did they invade , 4 points

Who put Brezhnev under pressure
Who out of the 5 signed a letter to Brezhnev, and why was it slightly weird

What about relations between Czech and west

Answer 15

1) Su worried ideas in Czech would spread elsewhere , like it was already in Poland
2) Brezhnev came under pressure from East German leader Walter Ulbricht and polish leader gomulka to stop the reform
3)visual bilk , leader of Slovak communist party and big communist opposed Prague reforms, him and 4 others signed a LETTER to Brezhnev suggesting that he use “all means at disposal” to end reforms
Inciting him to invade his OWN COUNTRY?
4) Su worried Czech was getting to close to wets Germany: and that industrial relations were getting were strengthening every day. Perhaps west Germany would dominate Eastern European countries if they did Czech

Thus they invaded Czech

Question 16

How did the invasion play out

1) who backed the soviets
2) how did citizens fight back
3) why was there no armed resistance

Answer 16

1) backed by units from Bulgaria, east Germany Hungary and Poland .
2) threw petrol bombs at the tanks, buildings were set on fire and they gathered in wendcelas square .
- Barricades set up in streets, some students got up in the tanks and fought the soldiers.
3) nine because dubcek said not to as it’s no point.

• ## anti soviet broadcasters continued to say on air-

Question 17

When did the Warsaw Pact meet and what did they do against the Prague spring?

Answer 17

-In June 1968 they carried out military exercises along the Czech border to send a clear message to Brezhnev

Question 17

What were the casualties that came about in Prague?

Answer 17

A hundred protesters were killed and 500 were wounded

Question 18

How it went down:
What happened in June as response to the Prague spring ?

What happened at the Warsaw meeting in July?

August
What was the Bratislava declaration ?
What did Tito do that made brezhenev scared towards dubcek?
Then what meeting occurred, and what did Brezhnev do to dubcek here?

Finally what happened on 20th august?

Answer 18

1) soviet tanks remained in Czech after Warsaw Pact military exercise
2) breshenev met leaders of pact in Warsaw, and later with dubcek. Here dubcek allowed to not allow a new social Democratic Party and to remain in the Warsaw Pact, however he DIDNT back down from his reforms. For now, the Su were relieved and tension decreased

3) august: Brezhnev and Warsaw last reps met with dubcek in Bratislava, where they declared their faith in communism by signing. AGAIN, BREZHENEV SEEMED REASSURED
4) Tito who was distrusted by Union was given an enthusiastic reception during a visit to Czech , and this looked like dubcek was trying to get independence from the Union making brezhenev scared
5) 3 day meeting of politburo, to decide what would happen . Here breshenev shouted over phone to dubcek that his actions in Prague would Bring DOWN THE WARSAW PACT
6) on 20th august Su invade Czechoslovakia

Question 18

What did dubcek order his army to do when Prague was seized?

Answer 18

Not to fight as he knew they stood no chance and would be killed

Question 19

How did the soviets ‘win’ from the Prague ordeal?

Answer 19

In 1969, dubcek was expelled from the party and a new loyal hard line government was established

Question 20

When was Prague seized and by who?

Answer 20

On 20th August 1968 by soviet forces

Question 21

Give 2 global communist responses to the new government in Czechoslovakia after the Prague spring movement

Answer 21

• there were protests in Yugoslavia and China (not part of the su sphere of influence)
• the event in Czechoslovakia destroyed many peoples faith in communism

Question 22

Give 2 ways the west responded to the new government in Czechoslovakia after the Prague spring movement

Answer 22

• the USA condemned the invasion and cancelled the meeting between Brezhnev and president Johnson
• many communists in the West saw the invasion as a betrayal of communist principles and an act of imperialism

Question 23

Name one very damaging consequence to the Prague spring movement?

Answer 23

The Brezhnev Doctrine

Question 24

What was the Brezhnev doctrine and when was it made?

What where three things introduced in it?

What message did it send out?

Answer 24

By using propaganda they made it seem like czech was a big threat to the Union.

November 1968 Brezhnev doctrine issued in order to justify the attack.
1) Stated that the Su had the right tin invade any country in Eastern Europe if they were threatening the eastern bloc.

2) redefined communism as a one party system, declaring all members had to remain in the pact forever
3) if any capitalist country was to threaten and communist country then any comm units country could attack them

THAT the Su would suppress any hints of capitalism in Warsaw Pact, not playing around . In General the invasion looked bad in the world however.

Question 25

How did the USA see the Brezhnev doctrine?

Answer 25

President Nixon saw it as defensive and wanted to save progress already made between them and the su

Question 26

What impact did the Brezhnev doctrine have on the east?

Answer 26

The Chinese were worried it meant the su would interfere with China which was undergoing a cultural revolution

Question 27

Give two ways the Warsaw Pact led to the Prague spring movement

Answer 27

• the Warsaw letter sent to dubcek warned that a challenge of communism in one country risks challenge in all countries
• students in plans wanted their own dubckek

Question 28

What happened to dubcek and leaders as a result of the invasion

Who then became leader of Czech

Answer 28

They were taken to Moscow arrested and forced to accept the end of Czech move to democracy

Hard line communists officials replaced the reforming leaders, benefiting the Su and back where they started ….

Question 28

Consequences of the invasion
In Czech ?

4

Answer 28

1) domeinstrstiojs wnt on until April of 1969(invasion happened in august 68)
2) jan Palace set himself to fire in Wiens else square
3)Czech communist party members like dubcek purged.
- dubcek Senf to turkey and then forced to resign
4’ Gustav husak took over reverting it back to strict communism .

Question 28

Consequences of the invasion

Soviet USA relations ?

• what was LBJ and Brezhnev unspoken deal to caused relations to not detoriate

What small benefit was the invasion to USA

Answer 28

1) east and western countries protested , MAKIJG RELATIONS WORSE INITITALLY
2) however USA soviet didn’t really get affected. This because USA was in presidential election and in VIETNAM WAR.
- unspoken deal of Lyndon b Johnson and Brezhnev was the USA would not intervene in czechslovakia as long as Su didn’t in Vietnam. So America condemned, but didn’t help….

3) reduced international criticism of going into Vietnam as invasion into Czech as an ally seemed a whole lot worse

Question 28

Consequences of invasion

For Western Europe?
- how did communist parties here react?

(Eurocommunism )

Answer 28

2) condemned but no help
2) however communist parties in Italy and France were appalled by the invasion, DECLARING THEMSELVES independent of the soviet communists party .
- this meant Su lost whatever influence they had here, and these countries made their own communism- euro communism

Question 29

Consequences of the invasion

• in east end European and other communist countries?
  0) what China reaction
  1) Romania president?
  2) what Albania do
  3) Yugoslavia and Romania and what alliance did they end up making

Answer 29

1) increased tensions and rivalry to China, as they criticsed use of force against ally, who now feared would happen to them too…
2) president ceausescu of Romania refused to send troops in attack and now became more independent form Su
3) Albania left Warsaw Pact in 1968
4) Yugoslavia and Romanian givenment second,Ende and istanced themselves form the Su givenment
- they then formed alliances with China instead, concerning Su but they couldn’t react as they were dealing with other events in Czech…