Czechoslovakia and the Prague Spring 1968

The Prague Spring of 1968 was an attempt by the Czechoslovak government to reform communism and create "socialism with a human face." Like the Hungarian Uprising twelve years earlier, it was crushed by Soviet military intervention. This lesson explores the causes, events, and significance of the crisis.

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Background: Czechoslovakia Under Communist Rule

Czechoslovakia had been a Soviet satellite state since 1948. By the 1960s, there was growing discontent with communist rule.

Problem	Detail
Economic stagnation	Czechoslovakia had been one of the wealthiest European countries before WWII; under communism, its economy declined
Political repression	No free speech, no free press, no political opposition allowed
Secret police	The StB (Statni bezpecnost) monitored and persecuted dissidents
Cultural restrictions	Censorship of writers, artists, and intellectuals
Soviet exploitation	Resources directed toward Soviet interests rather than Czech needs
Leader	Antonin Novotny — a hardline Stalinist, deeply unpopular

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Alexander Dubcek and Reform