Czechoslovakia: 'Prague Spring' (1968) Flashcards
Which repressive and unpopular dictator was in charge of Czechoslovakia between 1957 and 1968?
Antonin Novotny
Why was Novotny so unpopular?
- Novotny was slow to release prisoners from Stalin era
- Novotny slow to follow de-Stalinsation
- Under Novotny, standards of living declined during the 1960s
Who replaced Novotny as leader in 1968?
Alexander Dubcek
Who was leader of the USSR in 1968?
Leonid Brezhnev (Khrushchev lost power in 1964)
Who was Dubcek friends good friends with?
Dubcek was close friends with Brezhnev, leader of the USSR
What did Dubcek want to introduce into Czechoslovakia?
A genuinely popular form of communism - ‘socialism with a human face’ as he called it.
What were Dubcek’s reforms known as?
The Prague Spring (Prague was the capital of Czechoslovakia)
Give examples of the reforms Dubcek introduced in April 1968 (learn 2-3)
- relaxation of press censorship
- the legalisation of political opposition groups
- official government toleration of political criticism
- more power to regional govts.
- more power to the Czech parliament
- some capitalist elements to be allowed into the economy
Who was in favour of the Prague Spring?
- Students, intellectuals, artists and writers (e.g. Vaclav Havel)
Who opposed the Prague Spring?
- Older Czech communists
- Brezhnev and his allies across Eastern Europe
Why was the Prague Spring such a problem for Brezhnev?
On one hand, Dubcek was his friend and he was not trying to leave the Warsaw Pact (as Nagy had tried in Hungary.
On the other hand, the reforms were weakening Soviet control over Czechoslovakia (and potentially the whole Eastern Bloc in the long run)
At first, what did Brezhnev try and do to deal with the situation?
Brezhnev talked constantly to Dubcek from April to July, trying to persuade him that the reforms had gone too far
What did Brezhnev do in August once he realised his talks with Dubcek weren’t working?
He ordered a full scale invasion on 20 August.
How many Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia?
500,000 Warsaw Pact troops invaded
What happened to Dubcek after the invasion?
Dubcek was arrested and taken to Moscow. Brezhnev told him he had betrayed socialism.
What happened in Czechoslovakia as a consequence of the invasion?
Steps were taken to ‘protect socialism’ by reintroducing censorship and removing political opposition. Hard line communists replaced reforming Czechoslovakians in government.
How did the USA respond to the invasion of Czechoslovakia?
The USA did nothing apart from publicly condemn the invasion. (They were bogged down in the Vietnam War at the time.)
What did Western European governments do in response to the invasion?
Western European govts. followed America’s lead. They condemned the invasion but offered no military aid.
What did Western European communist parties do in response to the invasion?
The Communist Parties in Italy and France were outraged by the invasion and declared themselves independent of the Soviet Communist Party.
How did Yugoslavia and Romania react to the invasion?
Yugoslavia and Romania both condemned the invasion and distanced themselves from the Soviet Union. They also formed an alliance with communist China. This further divided the communist world.
What was the significance of the invasion of Czechoslovakia to relations between the USSR and USA?
- It showed that the USA was prepared to accept the ‘spheres of influence’ and would not get involved militarily in Eastern Europe (particularly during a period of detente).
