The Prague Spring
- In 1965, Novotny tried to improve the situation by restructuring the economy when he introduced the New Economic Model.
- Alexander Dubcek, leader of the Slovakian Communist Party openly challenged Novotny and then invited Brezhnev, leader of the Soviet Union, to visit Prague.
- Novotny was replaced as First Secretary of the Czech Communist Party by Dubcek on 5 January 1968.
- Dubcek put forward his ideas more clearly in his Action Programme in April. It also came to be known as ‘socialism with a human face’.
- One problem for Dubcek was that there were many now in Czechoslovakia who demanded further and more rapid change. This alarmed the Soviet Union just as much as Dubcek’s reforms did.
- In July 1968, Dubcek was summoned to attend conferences in Warsaw and Moscow, but refused to go.
- The whole Soviet Politburo then visited Prague to try to persuade Dubcek to reverse the reforms.
- Brezhnev feared any reforms in Czechoslovakia because he could see a potential break from the Warsaw Pact. Czechoslovakia was geographically strategic and if it left the Warsaw Pact would leave a wedge which NATO would be more than ready to fill.
- He did not want Czechoslovakia to act as an example to other Warsaw Pact members – on the other hand, he was being pushed by East Germany and Poland to step in to prevent the reforms
- Finally, the economic links that Czechoslovakia was trying to establish with West Germany added to the Soviet Union’s concerns.
- The fear was that West Germany and then other capitalist countries might come initially to dominate the economy of Czechoslovakia and then the remaining satellite states.
- Brezhnev took the decision to invade Czechoslovakia.
- On 20-21 August 1968, about 200,000 Warsaw Pact troops and several thousand tanks poured into Czechoslovakia. The Czech army did not resist, but many ordinary citizens did. About 100 civilians died.
- Dubcek disappeared but reappeared in Prague on 27 August and announced that the reforms had been stopped.
- In October 1968, all reforms were reversed and a temporary Soviet military occupation was announced.
- The following year, Dubcek was dismissed from the Central Committee of the Czech Communist Party and was sent as Czech ambassador to Turkey
- Gradually, all Czech leaders were purged and the new leader, Gustav Husak, re-established a strong communist state.