The Prague Spring Flashcards
When was the Pragua Spring?
1968
What allowed the Prague Spring to occur?
Soviet weakness caused by:
- ‘Defeat’ of Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
- Sino-Soviet split
- Atmosphere of detente (from Ostpolitik)
What did other Eastern Bloc states hope to gain from this Soviet weakness?
- Poland - trade with the West
- Romania - work with FRG
How did the Soviets try to stem the tide of independent initiatives?
By trying to define what all the Warsaw Pact coutnries wanted from detente in the…
Brezhnev Doctrine 1966
What were the 4 specifications the Brezhnev Doctrine identified as what all Warsaw Pact nations wanted out of detente?
- Recognition of post-war frontiers in Europe
- Creation of a new European Security System
- A veto on nuclear weapons for FRG
- A programme for economic, scientific, and technological cooperation between East and West
Was the Brzhnev Doctrine successful?
Not really - only partly held leaders back
What was developed that made the West antagonise the East very little, and gave them justification for accepting the Brezhnev Doctrine?
The Harmel Report
1967
What did the Harmel Report specifically state?
Updated NATO’s role by committing it to:
- Defending Western Europe
- Reaching detente with the East
What caused the divisions in the West?
General result?
- US invasion of Vietnam - lost some credibility as leader of West
- W Europe rejected Johnson’s idea of inevitable ‘global confrontation’
Concentrated on easing tension independently
Why were W and E European relations somewhat improved?
W Europe felt that Brezhnev was more sensible than Khrushchev
What was De Gaulle’s view on America?
Vehmently anti-American
What did De Gaulle do on account of his anti-Americansim?
- 1966 withdrew France from NATO, developed EC for USSR cooperation
- Expelled NATO’s main office from PAris in 1966
- Tried to weaken the US dollar
- Denounced the ‘bloc mentality’ of Europe
What almost happened as a result of French attacks towards America and FRG’s moves towards Ostpolitik?
Why not?
Almost saw Congress vote for the US to withdraw forces from Europe
Johnson pursuaded them not to so as to avoid NATO’s collapse
When did Dobcek become the First Secretary of the Czech Communist Party?
January 1968
What did Dubcek want to create?
A socialist system based on consent
When did Dubcek unveil the Prague Spring?
Brief definition?
April 1968
Programme for democratic reform
‘Socialism with a human face’
What did Dubcek try to do?
How did the Czech public respond?
Tried to preserve socialism, BUT public opinion began to press for democracy on a western basis
How did Dubcek increase freedom of speech in Czechoslovakia?
Effect?
Dropped censorship
Flood of anti-Soviet propaganda
What was the response of Brezhnev and other Warsaw Pact leaders to the Prague Spring?
Worried them
15th July Brezhnev met with Dubcek warned him he was ‘deeply concerned’ and that it was a ‘common concern’ of all Eastern bloc coutnries
What did Dubcek agree with Brezhnev that he would do in response to concerns?
Likely?
Restore censorship
Unlikely - too much momentum
What did Brezhnev do despite Dubcek’s promise?
No confidence
20-21 August
20 divisions of Warsaw Pact troops ended the Prague Spring
How long did the Brezhnev Doctrine last?
1968-89 with fall of Berlin Wall
Western response to Brezhnev Doctrine?
Accepted as within Soviet sphere
Short-termist view of Prague Spring
Long-term?
French PM: ‘traffic accident ont he raod to detente’
L-T: Allowed Breznev Doctrine to stand in the Soviet control of Eastern Europe
What did Brezhnev fear from the Prague Spring?
Dominoe Effect
(bascially disintegrationof Soviet bloc of 1990s)
