2.3 Czechoslovakia 1968-69

Question 1

What were Dubcek reforms for czech?

Answer 1

• goverment control of industry reduced
• trade unions given greater power
• trade with west increased
• Czech people given greater freedom to travel abroad
• more power to regional goverments

NOT A REFORM but:Talk of free elections

Question 2

How did the Czech ppl feel about the reforms?

Answer 2

They loved it

Question 3

What were BDubcek’s political views?

Answer 3

• he belived in communism but thought it should not make life miserable.
• a goverment should be “socialism with a human face”
• he wanted citizens to enjoy life
• express their views in public
• speak out against communsit party decisions without fear of the secret police/punishment

Question 4

Who was the unpopular leader before Dubcek?

Answer 4

Novotny

Question 5

What were the Consequences/importance of the Prague Spring?

Answer 5

• Romania and yugoslavia criticise it (straining relations)
• communist parties of Italy and France cut of links with Moscow
• czech goes back to hard line communism
• the creation brezhnev doctrine leads to greater soviot control of the eastern block(importance)-eventually it comes back to bite them
• Poland and East German goverments welcome it
• dubeck overthrown
• bad image for soviots.

Question 6

Why did the soviets invade?

Answer 6

Brezhnev feared that if these reforms occured in Czech it would happen to the whole of the Eastern Block

Romania(ceausecu the leader) and Yugoslavia(Tio the leader) were refusing to attend Warsaw pact meetings and Dubeck invited them over- it was the last straw for the soviots.

(Dubcek sent to Moscow to reverse his reforms-dismissed form office in 1969)

Question 7

What were the 500,000 warsaw pact soldiers told?

Answer 7

They were send to restore law and order. They were shocked with the little reisistance and hostility they encountered

Question 8

Who repaced Dubeck?

Answer 8

Husack who champdowned and put Czech under approved soviot rule.

Question 9

Who told the world about the Brezhnev doctrine?

Answer 9

Prava newspaper im sep 1968

Question 10

Whatcwas the problem with yugoslavia?

Answer 10

Tito refused to accept control from Moscow

Question 11

What was the impact on the US international reputation?

Answer 11

Bad, they were in a war with North Vietnam and were begining to start Détente.

The USA was Viewed as will criticise the Soviots but not take direct action.

Question 12

Why was Dubcek elected in 1968?

Answer 12

He was elected becasus the soviot leaderhsip approved of him and trusted him to:

• make the goverment more effective
• make the goverment less unpopular

Question 13

Why were the Czech people unhappy before the Praque Spring?(5 reasons)

Answer 13

• the soviets used the secret police to maintian control
• the econemy was run for the soviots benefit
• no freedom of speech
• TV and radio were censored
• stalin had ordered purges on Catholics, Jews, military leaders and democratic politicians between 1949 and 1969

Question 14

What does censorship mean?

Answer 14

The suppression of speech, oublic communication or other infomation

Question 15

Dubcek’s reforms were not popular in Moscow, what did he do to try and solve this?

Answer 15

He was careful to assure Moscow that Czech would remain in the Warsaw pact and a loyal ally to the soviots

Question 16

When does Brezhnev send 500,000 troops to invade Czech?

Answer 16

20 Aug, 1968

Question 17

What did the Brezhnev doctrine state?

Answer 17

the actions of any individual Communist country affected all Communist countries. So if one country’s actions threatened another countries, the it was the duty of all communist countries to to take steps to stop these actions

(all communist countries would be prevented form introdcuding more liberal reforms)

Question 18

What was the USA’s initial reaction to the invasion?

Answer 18

They were outraged and made strong protests to the soviot union.

They even attempted to condemn the invasion in the United Nations but it was vetoed by the Soviot Union

Question 19

What was the problem with Romania in 1968?

Answer 19

Thry refused to attend warsaw pact meetings

Question 20

2 consequences plan

Answer 20

P1: Brezhnev doctrine

P2: strained relations with Romania and Yugoslavia(Communist parties of France and Moscow cut of links)