Prague Spring And Invasion Of Czechoslovakia Flashcards
Effects of the prague spring
Brezhnev doctrine established, USSR claimed right to invade any eastern european country which threatened security of whole of east europe.
USA condemned invasion but did norhing to stop it as they feared a war againgst USSR.
Western communist parties declared themselves independent.
Yugoslavia and romania became less freindly with the USSR, weakening their grip on east europe
Causes of prague spring
USSR had affected czechoslovakia negatively, economy had declined, opposition to communism was crushed, communist rule became very unpopular.
Czechoslovakias ruler dubcek wanted to make reforms.
He was a freind of brezhnev but wanted to make communism better and easier to live under.
He relaxed censorship, made it legal to have more then one political party and gave more power to czechoslovakia.
These reforms resulted in the prague spring, a period of increased political freedom where people criticised communism
Brezhnevs response of the prague spring
He couldn’t allow the reforms as it could potentially break up the warsaw pact. If he allowed czechoslovakia to have more control then other countries such as poland, hungary would want more.
In august 1968 USSR sent tanks to prague and dubcek was arrested and czechoslovakia returned to being under strict soviet rule
Details of prague spring
‘Socialism with a human face’.
Press censorship abolished. Criticism of government allowed, more power to regional government, changes to economy more ‘market based’
Invasion of czechoslovakia
On 20th August, full scale invasion launched full scale invasion.
Dubcek urged public to not respond with violence, there was a large scale passive civil disobediance.
Dubcek tsken to moscow, forced to sign moscow protocol to uphild communism, reintroduce censorship and deal with political opponents
International reaction
America was in vietnam so couldn’t make any commitments, although condemning the invasion. French and italian communist parties were outraged
