Czechoslovakia - Prague Spring 1968 Flashcards
what is Czechoslovakia’s background like? [3]
- taken by Germany during appeasement
- liberated by USSR from Nazis during WW2
- tried to accept Marshall Aid but USSR prevented
why did Czechoslovakia want change? [3]
- economical
- political
- repression
how was the economy in Czechoslovakia? [2]
- in the 60’s = struggling
- lowest industrial growth rate in EAEUR
how was repression like in Czechoslovakia and details/explain? [4]
- censorship
- mandatory loyalty to communist party
- state control of agriculture and industry
- limited movement
what did limited movement benefit for the gov.? [2]
- easier to control rebellions
- protests are harder to happen
how was politics in Czechoslovakia? [2]
- “socialism with a human face” = PM
- stay socialist and a part of USSR
- promised change
who was PM for 1968-1969 and how was he? [1]
- Alexander Dubcek
- communist but wanted change
what are some of the changes promised by PM? [3]
- no more unconditional loyalty to the party
- freedom of speech
- freedom of movement
what was the PM fearful of? [2]
- moscow might feel threatened
- reaction of USSR against Hungary
what did PM publicly declare he had no intention of? [3]
- no changing foreign policy
- not leaving warsaw pact
- not ending alliance with USSR
how did the USSR respond to the reforms in Czechoslovakia? [4]
- USSR told Czechoslovakia that West Germany was going to invade Sudentenland
- asks permission to send Red Army to help and Dubcek refuses
- in August troops from across Warsaw Pact (led by Soviets) come rolling
in - Dubcek and gov. know they can’t win a fight and order people not to resist
what happens with PM in Moscow? [2]
- Dubcek is taken to Moscow
- soon announced Czechoslovakia would
NOT be implementing the reforms
when did USSR respond to the reforms in Czechoslovakia? [1]
July 1968
who was the leader in USSR after Khrushchev and how is he? [2]
- Leonid Brezhnev
- disagreed with Stalin’s destalinisation
where did the new leader of USSR centre most of his economy and why? [2]
- on the military
- in case there’s protests
