1968: Events in Czechoslovakia

Alexander Dubček, who had become the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in January 1968 intended on creating a government of "socialism with a human face," promoting political freedoms and a free, decentralised economy.

During the Prague Spring, the Czechoslovak government introduced a series of reforms, which led to a brief period of optimism known as the "Czechoslovak thaw," during which people enjoyed newfound freedoms and engaged in lively political and cultural discussions.

Soviet Intervention

However, the USSR and its leadership were very concerned about the reforms. They were worried that the ideas would spread through East Europe, and they feared losing Czechoslovakia, which was a very important industrial area, an important trading partner of COMECON and an important member of the Warsaw Pact. 

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

In August 1968, the Soviet Union and its allies, including Poland, East Germany, Bulgaria, and Hungary, launched a military intervention in Czechoslovakia to protect socialism and maintain the Warsaw Pact. Soviet tanks and troops invaded the country, bringing an end to the Prague Spring and reinstating conservative leadership loyal to Moscow.

Consequences of the Prague Spring and the invasion:

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

• Western countries criticised the actions of the USSR (and so did some other communist Eastern European countries).

• 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

• Dubček was ousted from power and 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.

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