Topic 4 - Crises: Czechoslovakia Flashcards
Opposition to Soviet Control
Stalin establishes pro-Soviet party in Czechoslovakia, appointing Klement Gottwald as leader
Problems of communist rule in Czechoslovakia
Secret Police maintain control
No freedom of speech
Media heavily censored
Purges of: Catholics, Jews, high-ranking communists, people with wartime connections with the west
Who was the first secretary of Czech communist party 1968
Alexander Dubceck
Committed to the Warsaw Pact and devoted communist. He wanted ‘socialism with a human face’
Thus he brought about the Prague Spring
Prague Spring reforms
Cencorship would be relaxed and criticism of government was allowed
Trade unions were given wider powers
More power was given to the Czech regional governments
Trade with the West was increased
Czech people were given greater freedom to travel abroad
Multi-party elections was discussed
What was Brezhnev’s reaction on Dubceck’s reforms?
Disapproved
At the time Romania didn’t attend Warsaw Pact meetings and Yugoslavian leader refused to accept control from the Warsaw Pact. What if Moscow lost control of Czechoslovakia too?!
Soviet reaction to Prague Spring
500,000 Warsaw Pact troops invade. Czechoslovakia and end the Prague Spring
Roads were blocked
Individuals were attacked
Dubcek was arrested and sent to Moscow and was ordered to reverse his reforms.
Replaced by Gustav Husak who was an extreme communist and put Czechoslovakia under communist rule for another 20 years.
Brezhnev Doctrine
Brezhnev said that the actions of any individual communist country affected all communist countries. If one country’s actions threatened the other, it was the duty of those countries to take steps to stop these actions.
AKA All countries would be prevented from introducing reforms to make their country more liberal
Impact of Prague spring
Czechoslovakia: Put things back to ‘normal’
Relations in Europe: Straining relations between the East, Italy and France cutting off ties, Poland felt more secure
Relations between USA and USSR: USA protested against USSR, USA did not make direct action to oppose the Soviet Union, though
Impact on the USA’s reputation: Was less confrontational towards what the USSR did because USA was in Vietnam. Therefore USA was much less prepared to take action
