COLD WAR
The Prague Spring
Humna Murad, Nawal Zia
Czechoslovakia Post WWII
→ Pre Nazi leader Edvard Beneš was re-instated. He wanted to make Czechoslovakia
democratic and progressive
→ He announced elections in which the National Front Coalition (between communists +
non communists) was formed.
→ Naturally, disputes over post war economic recovery heightened conflicts and multiple
protests took place → Non Communists resigned, fled or were killed.
→ The Communist Party was the only organized body left.
→ The economy was further nationalized and pressured to sign a constitution that would
give the Kremlin unprecedented powers, Benes resigned.
→ WIN for Stalin → set up intelligence network + brought Czeck under USSR rule.
⬇️
Replaced by Antonin Novotny ( fierce communist
⚠️ + Stalinist 🤮 )
WHY DID THE PRAGUE SPRING TAKE PLACE?
1. ECONOMIC CRISIS: Reforms were failing + farmers were discouraged from
modernizing + could only grow crops that benefitted the USSR’s economy →
INFLATION / FOOD SHORTAGES / DECLINE IN LIVING STANDARDS
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2. POLITICAL DISCONTENT: Repressive policies like press censorship + no freedom of
speech → Communist control was strengthening
INFO BOX ‼️
Socialist Realism - writers and journalists could
only portray socialism in a positive light.
3. HOPE OF US SUPPORT: Czecks thought the US would support their rebellion → gave
them the confidence to riot (discussed below in detail)
HOW DID DISCONTENT ESCALATE?
People wanted a “Socialist System with a Human Face” → better allocation of resources
+ greater personal freedom
↘️
peaceful protests
→ Novotny asked the Soviet Premier Brezhnev to intervene to maintain law and order but
he
❌ refused ❌
→ Novotny had to cut back on his power (manipulation by the USSR, in my opinion :p) and
Alexander Dubceck* rose to power.
Who is Dubceck?
INFO BOX ‼️
🤔
⬇️
→ moderate communist (although he pretends he’s a macho fascist)
●
●
He moved the command economy to a mixed economy
Allowed non communist parties to compete in elections
🙀
→ Liberalization Program - He loosened restrictions on media and travel +
removed censorship + abolished secret police + transition into free elections + more
autonomy for minorities + influence of communist party reduced
→ Improved border relations with West Germany
2
SO IF EVERYTHING WAS GREAT, WHY WERE THERE PROTESTS?
SIMPLE! Communists were threatened; the USSR and other Warsaw Pact allies saw the
granting of greater liberties as putting the whole region at the risk of
infection
⚠️
😰
BULLY ALERT
⚠️
😰 democratic
Similar to Emre Nagy, Dubcek’s reforms and ideas were not
anti-comunist since the Communist party still existed and would lead in Czechoslovakia,
but according to the hardliners the acknowledgement of Trade Unions and clubs like k231
(former political prisoners) were clear threats.
→ At every meeting, Dubceck assured the Soviet Bloc that Czechoslovakia would not leave
the Warsaw pact and remain loyal. He also claimed that all the reforms were within the
framework of communism.
→ LAST MEETING - Brezhnev tried to coerce Dubcek into reversing his reforms and Dubcek
promised to do so but continued with the liberalization.
*remember when we talked about how he pretended to be a hardcore dictator, but really
he was just a soft mediocre communist?*
🤭
WARSAW PACT FORCES INVADED CZECHOSLOVAKIA TO REINFORCE COMMUNISM!
⬇️
500,000 Soldiers / 200 Tanks
Poland + Bulgaria + USSR + HUNGARY
SO WHO WAS ON DUBECK’S SIDE?
👊🏽 🏃🏽‍♀️
→ The National Assembly, in loyalty to Dubeck, continued its sessions
→ States like Romania and Albania chose to side with Dubcek, and refused to participate.
Later they withdrew from the Warsaw Pact as well.
→ Despite breaching Czechoslovakia’s sovereignty, the USSR faced no international action
and no support was provided by the USA.
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SO WHERE WAS
●
🇺🇲 USA 🇺🇲 IN ALL OF THIS?
The USA accepted that this was taking place in the Soviet sphere of influence.
President, Lyndon Johnson, did not want to provoke Moscow and jeopardize
improving relations.
●
The USA’s resources were occupied with the Vietnam War.
●
There had been widespread international criticism over Moscow's actions
internationally and from the Eastern bloc. Interestingly, the USA showed the first
instance of their disapproval in the UN by giving a diplomatic warning to the USSR
that if a similar invasion in Romania took place, the USA would be forced to take
action.
WHAT WERE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS?
1. 300,000 people fled the country, while the rest were forced to resign.
INFO BOX ‼️
In 1969 a student named Jan Palach set himself
on fire and died a few days later. His funeral
became a major demonstration against the
occupation
2. It led to tensions with Yugoslavia (Tito) and rioting in Poland. Tito and Ceausescu
found themselves in agreement with Beijing. This was, in fact, a formative moment
that became known as Eurocommunism or neo-communism.
3. It worsened the USSR's relationship with China so much that China agreed to open
lines of communication with the USA and a detente* became even more important
for the USSR.
* the easing of hostility or strained relations
4. The Moscow Protocol was signed.
INFO BOX ‼️
WHAT WAS THE MOSCOW PROTOCOL?
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●
Soviet troops would stay in Czechoslovakia for the time being, and
leaders had to agree to tighter controls over political and cultural
activities.
●
The 14th Party Congress was declared invalid, and authoritarian
communists were thus able to occupy positions of power.
●
Czechoslovakia was proclaimed a federal republic, with two autonomous
units—the Czech Lands (Bohemia and Moravia) forming the Czech
Socialist Republic and Slovakia the Slovak Socialist Republic,
respectively—each with national parliaments and governments.
5. Husák took control and initiated a process of normalization. He had the
constitution amended to assert the right of the Soviet Union to intervene militarily if
it perceived socialism anywhere to be under threat. He consolidated his power just
as Novotny had done.
THE PRAGUE SPRING HAD ENDED!
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