1968: Events in Czechoslovakia

In 1968, people in Czechoslovakia began criticising the communist leadership of their country.

They were unhappy because the economy was not doing well and there was a poorer standard of living compared to countries in western Europe where people’s wages were much higher.

Key People involved

• The new leader of Czechoslovakia, Alexander Dubcek.

• Brezhnev, the new leader of the USSR

Demands of the protesters:

• Freedom of speech and freedom of the press

• Set up new political parties

Why did the USSR invade?

• The USSR and its leadership were very concerned about the reforms

• They were worried that the ideas would spread through East Europe

• Czechoslovakia was a very important industrial area

• It was an important trading partner of COMECON and important member of the Warsaw Pact. 

• Eastern European countries were worried that Czechoslovakia might become allied with the USA and Western Europe. 

Other members of the warsaw pact got involved, including...

• East Germany

• Poland

• Bulgaria

How did the people respond to the invasion?

• The Czechs did not resist the invasion but carried out some peaceful protests.

How did the West react?

• Western countries criticised their actions of the USSR (so did other communist eastern European countries)

Consequences for Czechoslovakia:

• There were no violent clashes, although 79 people died during the invasion.

• Soviet forces threw reformers out of the communist party, but they were not imprisoned or executed

• The new pro-Soviet leader, Husak, reversed all the reforms. 

• Brezhnev announced that the Soviet Union would not allow any communist country in Eastern Europe to abandon communism.

What were the consequences for the USSR?

• They were criticised by China and their relationship with China quickly deteriorated after the invasion as China criticised the USSR for how they treated  Eastern European countries.