Czechoslovakia and prague spring 1968

• By 1968, khrushchev was replaced by brezhnev
• In 1967 Czecho's old stalinist leader was replaced by Alexander Dubcek
• Dubcek proposed the policy 'socialism with a human face' which included less censorship, more freedom of speech and less use of secret police
• as censorship reduced, newspapers criticized communist rule which became known as 'the prague spring' as new ideas were appearing everywhere
• in response to prague spring, USSR sent troops on border of czecho to perform public training exercises(intimidation)
• In july, USSR made an agreement for Dubcek to not create new social democratic party that he wanted
• USSR thought about economic sanctions on Czecho, but didn't in worry of Dubcek asking West for help
• 20th August 1968, USSR tanks moved into Czecho with little resistance and removed Dubcek from power
• Dubcek was sent to be ambassador to Turkey at first, then expelled from communist party after
• Brezhnev created Brezhnev doctrine which set rules for the essentials of communism, which were:

  A one party system

  to remain a member of warsaw pact