The Prague Spring

The Prague Spring1968

Mara, Marie 10c

Structure

Tasks

First impressions/ overview

Background

Timeline

Sources

Quiz

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

Milan Linhart

Info

The streets of Prague on August 21.

Info

A protester standing in defiance on top of a tank.

First impressions / overview

What happened in the Prague Spring?

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.

First impressions / Overview

Alexander Dubček

Nov. 1921 - Nov. 1992

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.

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.

Background

What even lead to the Prague Spring?

Political circumstances that lead to the start of Prague Spring

Background -

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.

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.

Political circumstances that lead to the start of Prague Spring

Background -

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.

Timeline

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

Jan. 5, 1968

March

March 22

April 18

March 30

Alexander Dubček replaces Antonín Novotný as first secretary of the KSČ

Public protests show the growing criticism of Novotný´s presidency

Novotný resigns as president

Ludvik Svoboda is elected as the new president of Czechoslovakia

New government is formed under Dubček

Timeline

The most important events of the Prague Spring

Antonín Novotný December 1904 - January 1975 Novotný became a member of the KSČ in 1921. He played a vital part in the Communist takeover in 1948. He became the first secretary of the party in 1953 and president of Czechoslovakia in 1957 when Antonín Zápotocký died. Novotný was part of a stalinist faction and facing increasing criticism before and after the Prague Spring because of his authoritarian practices - until Alexander Dubček replaced him.

May 1

June 26

July 29 - Aug. 1

July 15

May Day celebrations reflect huge support for the new government

Censorship is officially abolished

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

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

Timeline

The most important events of the Prague Spring

Leonid Brezhnev December 1906 - November 1982 Leonid Brezhnev was the leader of the Soviet Union (head of the CPSU) from 1964 to 1982, the height of the Cold War. During the Prague Spring, he developed the Brezhnev Doctrine, that asserted the Soviet Union the right to intervene in situations where socialist countries were threatened by the action. This concept justified the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact allies.

August 18

August 20

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

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

Timeline

The most important events of the Prague Spring

Info

How did the United States of America react? Because the Eisenhower Administration encouraged a revolt against the Soviet system, you would think that the US would support the Prague Spring, but it turned out differently. The people in America were trying to cope with the Vietnam War ... the events in Czechoslovakia appeared distant and peripheral. The American society tended to treat the Czech reformers as utopians. A diplomatic warning was given to the USSR - if there was a similar invasion of Romania, the US would act further on it - but they decided against active support of the Czechoslovakian reformers.

Invasion is announced over State Radio

1:00 am

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

3:00 am

Svoboda calls for calm over the radio

6:00 am

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

8:00 am

August 21, 1968

"The day that freedom died"

"The Presidium calls upon all citizens of the Republic to keep the peace and not resist the advancing armies, because the defense of our borders is now impossible."

August 23

August 25

August 31

Jan. 16, 1969

Oct. 28

Svoboda flies to Moscow to discuss a solution

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

Censorship is reintroduced in CZ

CZ becomes a federal republic

Jan Palach sets himself on fire

After the invasion...

Tasks

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.

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

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

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

Task 1

Task 2

Task 4

Tasks

Task 3

Read the linked article:

Link

Quiz

You know (almost) everything now!!

start

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

about 150

about 50

about 100

Question 1/5

Prague Spring quiz

1969

1968

1967

Question 2/5

Prague Spring quiz

Right!

In which year did the Prague Spring take place?

bored

nostalgic

free

Question 3/5

Prague Spring quiz

Right!

How was the mood in the early months of 1968?

being excited

protesting

trying to survive

Question 4/5

Prague Spring quiz

How did most people behave after the invasion?

Right!

Alexander Dubček

Alex Dubček

Alexander Dubčkek

Question 5/5

Prague Spring quiz

Right!

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

YESS <3

2. q

3. Q

4. Q

5. Q

end

NO <3

5. Q again

4. Q again

1. Q again

3. Q again

2. Q again

Finally <3

Bibliography

03

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

04

05

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

06

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

01

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

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

02

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

Bibliography

09

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

10

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

12

11

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

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

07

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

08

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

Bibliography

13

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

14

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