Prague spring (ussr invasion of Czechoslovakia)

• 1968


  Dunces elected as first secretary of Czech communist party
• Dubcek believed communism was the right political path but should not make life miserable. He wanted Czechoslovakians to run their own businesses, allow freedom of speech, stop censorship of press, allow trade unions.
• new soviet leader Brezhnev disapproved of the measures dubcek was imposing. worried that other Warsaw pact countries would want reforms. leaders of other counties worries about political unrest
• June 1968


  Brezhnev intimidating dubcek by showing Warsaw pacts power as Czechoslovakian border was chosen for the site of Warsaw pact military excersises
• • 20th August 1968 - 500,000 Warsaw pact troops and soviet tanks enter Czechoslovakia
  • Jan Palac, a 20 yr old university student sets fire to himself as a protest against the soviet occupation of this country
  • dubcek arrested and sent to Moscow where he was ordered to revere his reforms
  • 1969- replaced by Gustav Husak
• Husak's regime was more brutal than Dubceks. The secret police were given greater powers and there was an increase in arrests and executions. There was also a crackdown on dissenting voices within the media and arts. Many artists fled abroad or went into hiding. Some writers such as Milan Kundera had their books banned from publication.
• Wests reaction

  • Brezhnevs actions just looked like an aggressive attempt to dominate another European country