Czechoslovakia, 1968

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The Prague Spring - 1968

In January 1968, Alexander Dubcek became the leader of Czechoslovakia.

The rise of Dubcek

Living standards in Czechoslovakia had fallen under Soviet rule (led by Antonin Novotny).
This led to growing opposition to communism.
In January 1968, Alexander Dubcek became the leader of Czechoslovakia.
Dubcek had a good relationship with the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and supported the Warsaw Pact.
But Dubcek wanted communism to have a ‘human face’, introducing reforms that improved the lives of the Czechoslovakian people.

Dubcek's reforms

There were reforms and measures that increased political freedom.
- In April 1968, censorship was relaxed, more criticism of communism was allowed. Other political parties were also permitted.
- The secret police had their powers reduced and arresting and detaining without trial was restricted.
Some capitalist elements were even allowed in the economy to create a form of “market socialism”.

The response

But the events horrified many old Czech communists, who thought that the reforms would lead to the collapse of communism.
Many Czechoslovakians were enthusiastic about the reforms.
Brezhnev and the East German leader Erich Honecker, were especially concerned.
They feared that the Prague Spring would lead to calls for reforms elsewhere in the Soviet Union’s “sphere of influence”.

Brezhnev's lack of action

Brezhnev was unsure how to act. He was close to Dubcek and did not want to risk Czechoslovakia's reputation by going to war.
- So he did nothing.

The Brezhnev Doctrine

After the Prague Spring, Brezhnev did not allow the reforms. Dubcek did not agree to this, so the Soviet Union sent in Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia. This led to the Brezhnev Doctrine.

Re-establishment of Soviet control in Czechoslovakia

In the early morning of the 21st of August 1968, troops from all the countries in the Warsaw Pact entered Prague and Dubcek was arrested. Dubcek was flown to Moscow.
- Nobody in Czechoslovakia was expecting an invasion, especially their armed troops, who were completely unprepared. Before his arrest, Dubcek urged Czechoslovakians not to resist the invasion with violence.

Czechoslovakia after Dubcek

Czechoslovakia became a strictly-run Soviet satellite state again, led by Gustav Husak.
- The process of rolling back Dubcek's proposed reforms was called “normalisation”.
Unlike in Hungary, where Imre Nagy was killed, Dubcek returned to the Czechoslovakian government in a less important position. He lived until the age of 70, dying in 1992.

The Brezhnev Doctrine

Doctrine is defined as 'a belief or group of beliefs'.
The Brezhnev Doctrine installed the policy or belief that the Soviet Union would use Warsaw Pact troops to maintain their position of influence in Eastern Europe. Anyone threatening the status quo, proposing reforms, or threatening communism in the Soviet Union's sphere of influence was likely to be invaded.

International reaction to the Brezhnev Doctrine

The Doctrine was condemned by America and Britain, but again, the West did not want to go to war over a relatively peaceful invasion within the Soviet Union's sphere of influence.
However, the Brezhnev Doctrine and the invasion of Czechoslovakia harmed the Soviet Union's brand of communism internationally.

International reaction to the Brezhnev Doctrine 2

The CIA's report into the 'World Communist Reaction to the Invasion of Czechoslovakia' mentioned 'that Yugoslavia, Romania, China, and Albania would be opposed was never in question', and that French Communist leader, Waldeck-Rochet and Italian Communist leader, Longo, both opposed the invasion.