The Prague Spring

Mara, Marie 10c

The Prague Spring 1968

Quiz

Sources

Timeline

Background

First impressions/ overview

Tasks

Structure

Milan Linhart

"I felt like I was in the first day of a war."

Info

Info

The Prague Spring was a brief period of liberalization in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic around 1968. It had its peak in spring 1968 - Alexander Dubček had become Party leader of the KSČ, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. His liberal reforms provided more press and personal freedom and "socialism with a human face". He called for a democratization in Czechoslovakia. Although the nation had pinned their hopes on Dubček, the dreams of freedom were soon crushed by Soviet-lead army forces invading the country, fearful of the impacts of the liberalization on the Soviet Union. August 21, 1968 became "the day that freedom died". With the invasion and its consequences, roughly 100 people died in the Prague Spring.

What happened in the Prague Spring?

First impressions / overview

At a Central Committee meeting in October 1967, Dubček managed to gain the support of the party against the leadership of Antonín Novotný - on January 5, 1968, he replaced him as party leader. He granted a greater freedom of press, economic reforms and the reform program "Czechoslovakia´s Road to Socialism". In 1992, he died as the leader of Slovakia´s Social Democrats.

Alexander Dubček was born in 1921 in Kyrgystan, in Soviet Central Asia. His father was a member of the Czechoslovak Communist Party. (In 1938, the family returned to the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.) Dubček took part in the underground resistance to the Nazi occupation during World War Ⅱ. In 1962, he became a full member of the Central Committee´s Presidium of the KSČ.

Nov. 1921 - Nov. 1992

Alexander Dubček

First impressions / Overview

What even lead to the Prague Spring?

Background

Stalin´s death in 1953 lead to the process of "De-Stalinization" in the Soviet Union. The personal freedom, freedom of the press and regulations in arts and media had dramatically improved - except in Czechoslovakia. Novotný faced increasing criticism because of the stagnant economy and his quasi-authoritarian practices and his anti-Slovak prejudice.The call for the political reform was answered with a new economic model, introducing free market elements.

After World War Ⅱ, the Czechoslovakians responded favorably to the KSČ and the Soviet alliance. Czech lands were mostly occupied by Soviet troops. Additionally, the disappointment in the West because of the "betrayal" in 1938 was still present: After the leadership in Great Britain and France had conceded the German right to take over the Sudetenland, the German army continued with the invasion and till 1944 extended it to all parts of former Czechoslovakia. All that benefited the KSČ. The Communist Party secured a strong representation in the government and society - although the democratic elements (led by President Beneš) hoped for the freedom of the Czechoslovakians to choose their own form of government, the Czechoslovak coup d'état completed the communist takeover. Since 1948, Antonín Novotný as the head of the KSČ had a big role in ruling the Czechoslovakian Socialist Republic.

Background -

Political circumstances that lead to the start of Prague Spring

The growing public dissatisfaction led to calls for a new form of socialism, a socialism that would include proper elections, personal freedom and responsibility of leaders to society. The Czechs also thought the USA would assist them if they stood up to the Soviet Union. In 1967, students first began to protest peacefully against the leadership of Antonín Novotný. Alexander Dubček is seen as the perfect alternative candidate. Both the orthodox party members and the reformers accepted his views and ideas.

Background -

Political circumstances that lead to the start of Prague Spring

All the facts and dates you need to know...

Timeline

The most important events of the Prague Spring

Timeline

New government is formed under Dubček

Ludvik Svoboda is elected as the new president of Czechoslovakia

Novotný resigns as president

Public protests show the growing criticism of Novotný´s presidency

Alexander Dubček replaces Antonín Novotný as first secretary of the KSČ

March 30

April 18

March 22

March

Jan. 5, 1968

The most important events of the Prague Spring

Timeline

Negotiations are held - Dubček argues that the reforms do not endanger the Soviet Union Threats of invasion by Soviet communist parties

Representatives of Communist parties meet in Warsaw (Soviet Union, Hungary, Poland, East Germany, Bulgaria); they send a warning to the CZ leaders

Censorship is officially abolished

May Day celebrations reflect huge support for the new government

July 15

July 29 - Aug. 1

June 26

May 1

Info

The most important events of the Prague Spring

Timeline

An estimated 500,000 troops (Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, East Germany) invade Czechoslovakia in the night of August 20 - 21

Kremlin decides on the invasion of Czechoslovakia "The invasion will take place even if it leads to a third world war." - Andrei Grechko

August 20

August 18

"The day that freedom died"

August 21, 1968

8:00 am

Crowd and Soviet troops meet - tanks appear and start firing at buildings

6:00 am

Svoboda calls for calm over the radio

3:00 am

The four leading reformers in CZ leadership are arrested by Soviet troops (including Dubček )

1:00 am

Invasion is announced over State Radio

After the invasion...

Jan Palach sets himself on fire

CZ becomes a federal republic

Censorship is reintroduced in CZ

CZ leaders sign Moscow protocol - reform program is partly renounced and agrees to presence of Soviet troops in CZ

Svoboda flies to Moscow to discuss a solution

Oct. 28

Jan. 16, 1969

August 31

August 25

August 23

Now that you´ve had an insight on the events and background of the Prague Spring, we want you to dig a little bit deeper.

Tasks

Link

Read the linked article:

Task 3

Tasks

Task 4

Task 2

Task 1

In your opinion, is this source respectable and trust-worthy? Give reasons for your answer.

Compare the protests of the Prague Spring with the ones in Belarus in 2020. What are the similarities? What are the differences?

Imagine that you´re the 15 year old boy. Write a diary entry about your experiences of the Prague Spring in 1968. (200 words)

start

You know (almost) everything now!!

Quiz

Prague Spring quiz

Question 1/5

about 100

about 50

about 150

How many people died roughly during the brutal invasion of Czechoslovakia?

In which year did the Prague Spring take place?

Right!

Prague Spring quiz

Question 2/5

1967

1968

1969

How was the mood in the early months of 1968?

Right!

Prague Spring quiz

Question 3/5

free

nostalgic

bored

Right!

How did most people behave after the invasion?

Prague Spring quiz

Question 4/5

trying to survive

protesting

being excited

What's the name of the KSČ party leader during the Prague Spring?

Right!

Prague Spring quiz

Question 5/5

Alexander Dubčkek

Alex Dubček

Alexander Dubček

end

5. Q

4. Q

3. Q

2. q

YESS <3

2. Q again

3. Q again

1. Q again

4. Q again

5. Q again

NO <3

Finally <3

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/19/prague-1968-snapshots-day-freedom-died, Robert Tait, 19.08.2018

02

https://blisty.cz/art/91264-a-personal-testimony-what-was-going-on-during-the-1968-prague-spring.html, Jan Čulík, 20.8.2018

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/filling-the-blank-spots-the-prague-spring, F. Joseph Dresen

01

https://thevieweast.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/dubceks-failings-the-1968-warsaw-pact-invasion-of-czechoslovakia/, Rebekah Young

06

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/20/world/europe/prague-spring-communism.html, Z.A.B Zeman, Milan Hauner

05

04

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Czechoslovak-history/The-Prague-Spring-of-1968, the editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

03

Bibliography

https://www.britannica.com/event/Prague-Spring, the editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

08

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/prague-spring-begins-in-czechoslovakia, History.Com Editors

07

https://www.rferl.org/a/crushing-of-prague-spring-1968/29420107.html, Amos Chapple, 10.08.2018

https://blogs.shu.edu/history/2018/10/12/the-prague-spring-as-seen-from-the-united-states/, Nathaniel Knight, 12.10.2018

11

12

https://www.rferl.org/a/1089303.html, Matthew Frost, 09.08.1998

10

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antonin-Novotny, The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica 20.07.1998, last updated= 06.12.2020

09

Bibliography

BBC bitesize, The Cold War 1961-1972 in: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsfwhv4/revision/5

14

https://www.onthisday.com/people/leonid-brezhnev, not specified

13

Bibliography