Prague Spring

Question 1

What did Stalin do in 1948?

Answer 1

Supported a coup in Czechoslovakia that removed non-communists from power and established a pro-Soviet government under the leadership of the head of the Czech communist party, Klement Gottwald

Question 2

Why was life under communist rule difficult for Czech people?

Answer 2

. Country was ruled by Soviet Union which used secret police to maintain control
. Czech economy was run for the benefit of the Soviet Union and there were few consumer goods for Czech people
. No freedom of speech
. Radio, newspapers and television were censored

Question 3

What did the Czech government do between 1949 and 1954?

Answer 3

Under Stalin’s orders, carried out purges and the victims included not only democratic politicians, but also military leaders, Catholics, Jews, people with wartime links to west

Question 4

What did Czech people protest about after the purges?

Answer 4

Low standard of living and lack of freedom

Question 5

What did student demonstrations in 1966 show?

Answer 5

How unpopular the communist government in Czechoslovakia was

Question 6

When was Alexander Dubcek elected?

Answer 6

In 1968 as First Secretary of the Czech communist party - effectively the head of the Czech government

Question 7

Why did Soviet leadership approve of Dubcek?

Answer 7

Trusted him to make the government of Czecholslovakia more effective and less unpopular, while keeping the country completely loyal to the Soviet Union

Question 8

What was Dubcek committed to?

Answer 8

The Warsaw Pact and a devoted communist

Question 9

What were Dubcek’s beliefs?

Answer 9

. Communism was the right political path but shouldn’t make life miserable
. Communist government should offer ‘socialism with a human face.’
. Believed citizens should be able to express views and speak against Communist party decisions without fear of punishment from the government

Question 10

What was the ‘Prague Spring’?

Answer 10

The reforms Dubcek introduced from April

Question 11

What were Dubcek’s April reforms?

Answer 11

. Censorship relaxed and criticism of government allowed
. Trade Unions given wider power and government control of industry reduced
. More power given to the Czech regional governments
. Trade with West increased
. Czech people given greater freedom to travel abroad
. Multi-party elections was discussed but leaders emphasised this wouldn’t happen for years

Question 12

Where were Dubcek’s reforms met with great enthusiasm?

Answer 12

Among Czech people

Question 13

Where were Dubcek’s reforms much less popular?

Answer 13

Moscow

Question 14

What was Dubcek careful to assure Moscow?

Answer 14

That Czechoslovakia would remain in the Warsaw Pact and was a loyal ally of the Soviet Union

Question 15

When did Brezhnev replace Khrushchev?

Answer 15

1968

Question 16

Why did Brezhnev dissaprove of many of Dubcek’s reforms?

Answer 16

. Other Warsaw Pact countries would want similar reforms

Question 17

Why was there a risk that Moscow could lose control of Czechoslovakia?

Answer 17

At the same time as Dubcek’s reforms, Romania was refusing to attend Warsaw Pact meetings and the Yugoslavian leader, Tito, refused to accept control of Moscow. What if Czechoslovakia followed?

Question 18

What was the state of Yugoslavia at end of WW2?

Answer 18

Liberated largely without Soviet help

Question 19

Why was Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform in 1948?

Answer 19

Although the leader of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito was a communist, he didn’t want to follow Moscow’s leadership

Question 20

What was Tito famous for?

Answer 20

Writing an open letter to Stalin telling him to stop sending people to kill Tito or Tito would have to send someone to kill Stalin

Question 21

What was Brezhnev doing in the months after Dubcek became leader?

Answer 21

Remained in contact with him, urging him not to endanger communism in Czechoslovakia by going too far with his reforms

Question 22

What did Brezhnev order Warsaw Pact troops to do while Dubcek was leader?

Answer 22

To carry out manoeuvres in Czechoslovakia to threaten Dubcek

Question 23

When did Brezhnev decide to take action?

Answer 23

When Dubcek invited Ceausescu of Romania and Tito to Prague for talks

Question 24

What happened on 20th August 1968?

Answer 24

500,000 Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia and ended the ‘Prague Spring’

Question 25

Was there much opposition to the invasion?

Answer 25

No

Question 26

What had Brezhnev ordered the Czech army to do during the invasion?

Answer 26

Remain in its barracks, just in case they tried to fight baxk

Question 27

What were some individual acts of bravery from the Czech people?

Answer 27

Blocking roads and attacking individual tanks

Question 28

Why were the invading forces shocked by the hostility they encountered when invading?

Answer 28

They had been told they had been invited to help restore law and order by the Czech government

Question 29

Who was Jan Palach?

Answer 29

20 year old uni student who set himself on fire in Wenceslas Square in Prague against the Soviet occupation of his country on 16th January 1969

Question 30

What happened to Dubcek straight after the invasion?

Answer 30

Was arrested, sent to Moscow and ordered to reverse his reforms

Question 31

Who replaced Dubcek in 1969?

Answer 31

Gustav Husak

Question 32

Who was Gustav Husak?

Answer 32

A hardliner loyal to Moscow and introduced a clampdown in which over a thousand Czech’s were arrested

Question 33

What did Brezhnev’s action look like to many people in the West?

Answer 33

An aggressive attempt to dominate another European country

Question 34

How did the Soviet Union justify the invasion?

Answer 34

As a neccesity to protect the unity of the communist movement in Europe

Question 35

What happened on 26th September 1968?

Answer 35

Pravda (Soviet paper) set out what became known as the Brezhnev Doctrine

Question 36

What was in the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 36

The actions of any individual communist country affected all communist countries. If one country’s actions threaten other countries, it is the duty of those countries to stop these actions

Question 37

What was the Brezhnev doctrine essentially trying to say?

Answer 37

All communist countries would be prevented from introducing reforms to make their country more liberal

Question 38

What was the impact of the invasion on Czechoslovakia?

Answer 38

Ended the ‘prague spring’ and authorities soon put things back to ‘normal’

Question 39

What was the impact of the ‘Prague Spring’ and Soviet invasion on relations between other communist countries in Europe?

Answer 39

Yugoslavia and Romania condemned the invasion, straining relations
Communist parties of Italy and France cut links to Moscow
Government of East Germany and Poland welcomed Brezhnev’s doctrine to feel more secure they wouldn’t be challenged

Question 40

What did the suppression of the ‘prague spring’ lead to?

Answer 40

Greater Soviet control of the members of the Warsaw Pact which was reinforced by the Brezhnev doctrine which made members of the Warsaw Pact under close control of Soviet Union

Question 41

What was the impact of the ‘prague spring’ and Soviet invasion on relations between USA and Soviet Union?

Answer 41

USA and other West governments outraged by invasion ans made strong protests to Soviet Union
Attempt to pass formal resolution condemning the invasion in the UN but this was vetoed by Soviet Union
Soviet Union saw that while USA might make protests, it would not take direct action to oppose the Soviet Union in Europe

Question 42

What was the USA involved in during the time of the ‘prague spring’ and invasion?

Answer 42

A costly war in North Vietnam and there was a policy of détente beginning to be adopted with the Soviet Union

Question 43

How did other countries think about the USA’s involvement in these events?

Answer 43

Saw that the USA was keen to criticise the Soviet Union but much less prepared to take action