Prage_Spring

THE PRAGUE SPRING Ruth Moon, Natsumi Kinoshita, Cinzia Orlando WHERE IS CZECHOSLOVAKIA' Czechoslovakia is found in Central Europe and it is surronded by Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Ausrtia the position is important because it’s located near the Soviet territory and was under the influence of Communism THE PRAGUE SPRING Was a period of political liberalization and new ideas during the communist domination It was named the Prague spring because all the new ideas seemed to be appearing from everywhere It began on January 5, 1968 and ended on August 20, 1968, when Dubcek was forced to resign ALEXANDER DUBCEK In 1967 the reformist Dubcek became the leader of the Czech communist party after the Stalinist leader was forced to resign. He continued until August 20 1968 when the Soviet Union invaded the country. The reforms made by Dubcek were an attempt to introduce the socialism with a human face to the citizens: less censorship, more freedom of speech, a reduction in the activities of the secret police and he introduced the social democratic party The reforms were not received well from the Soviets who sent thousands of troops and tanks to occupy the country The Soviet invasion in 1968 faced a little violent resistance and Dubcek was removed from power and succeeded by Brezhnev. STALINIZATION Following the Czech coup in February 1948 when the Communists definitely took power in Czechoslovakia by introducing the people’s democracy. Although Czechoslovakia was a multiparty state it was still under the communist majority control Another factor that supported Stalinization was that Czechoslovak interests were subordinated to the Soviet Union. Following the Soviet example, Czechoslovakia began emphasizing the rapid development of heavy industry. The 1960 Constitution declared the victory of "socialism" and proclaimed the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. THE WARSAW PACT The Warsaw pact was the organization of communist states between Eastern and Central Europe states The pact was signed in Warsaw, Poland the 14 May 1955 It was the Soviet sponsored military-treaty Whenever one state was attacked, the other states were forced to support it in war Later, nuclear missiles were installed from the Soviet union in the Warsaw joining states in order to prevent the US from attacking HOW DID THE USSR REACT' The Soviet union was very suspicious of the changes in Czechoslovakia because it was one of the most important countries in the Warsaw pact and it had a strong industry In order to prevent Czhechoslovakia resigning from the Warsaw pact they organized military public taining right on the Czech border THE USSR CONFERENCE WITH CZECHOSLOVAKIA By surprise, the Soviet union decided to send military tanks into Czechoslovakia There was a little violent opposition that refused to co-operate with the Soviet union Dubcek was removed from power but he was not executed He was censored from all the pictures because the Soviet union wanted stability to return in Czechoslovakia WHO WAS BREZHNEV' He was the General Secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union. He publically criticized the Czechoslovakia a “revisionist” and “anti-Soviet” In August 1968, he organized the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia and the removal of Dubcek leadership. He stated that the Soviets are allowed to obstruct in its satellites to “safeguard socialism” became known as Brezhnev Doctrine. BREZHNEV DOCTRINE This was made in response to the efforts in 1968 of the Czech communist party under the leadership of Dubcek, to introduce a number of reforms including the abolition of censorship Brezhnev stated that Czechoslovakia’s detachment from the social community would have come into conflict with its own vital interests This policy remained influential until Gorbachev denounced the policy