Write a narrative account analysing the key events of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in
1968 (8 marks)
An initial key event was the Prague spring which is a reference to a series of reforms that were
introduced by Dubcek, the new first secretary of the Communist Party after Novotny, in the spring of
1968. Dubcek was a devoted communist however he wanted to win support for the communist
regime by removing its worst features. He was prepared to allow greater political freedom, a 10 year
programme for political change which would bring about fair democratic elections and a multi party
state, and reduce the power of the secret police among other things. These were all hated and
feared aspects of the communist regime and by removing them he wanted to give the Czechoslovak
people a greater say in the running of the country. He also wanted to remove travel restrictions and
bring about fresh contact with the west, opening up to trade with them too. This attempt at a freer
version of communism was not handled well throughout the USSR.
Dubcek's proposed changes for the Czechoslovak people and country as a whole worried Soviet
officials as they deemed them to be too 'anti communist' and feared other Warsaw-pact nations
would follow suit. Thus another key event was on the 20-21 August 1968 when thousands of Soviet
troops, backed by units from Bulgaria, East Germany, Hungary and Poland entered Czechoslovakia.
The aim was to try and re-establish control of the government to make sure no more expansion was
made into a relationship with the west. Czechoslovaks angry with communism and how it worsened
their standard of living, threw bottles at tanks, tore down street signs to throw off invaders and
argued with soviet soldiers. However no effort was made by the Czechoslovak army and there were
minimal casualties. Dubcek and his other government officials were arrested and taken to Moscow,
forced to accept the end of the countries move to democracy further worsening the attitude
towards communism. This enforced the iron first the USSR was ready to rule with to keep the
eastern bloc in check to keep up their image of success and power to oppose the west.
Lastly, the final key event took place after the forced re-take of Czechoslovakia when the soviets
used propaganda to show that the events in Czechoslovakia were a serious threat to the Warsaw
Pact and the USSR. In the autumn of 1968, Leonid Brezhnev, the new leader of the USSR introduced
the Brezhnev Doctrine in order to justify the invasion. This introduced the ideology that the USSR
could invade any country in the Warsaw Pact whose actions appeared to threaten the security of the
eastern bloc. This really expressed the harsh policies the USSR had to put in place to keep control
over the other Warsaw pact countries and how the attitude towards communism was at an all time
low. The doctrine redefined communism as a one party system and declared that all member
countries had to remain part of the Warsaw Pact.
1968 (8 marks)
An initial key event was the Prague spring which is a reference to a series of reforms that were
introduced by Dubcek, the new first secretary of the Communist Party after Novotny, in the spring of
1968. Dubcek was a devoted communist however he wanted to win support for the communist
regime by removing its worst features. He was prepared to allow greater political freedom, a 10 year
programme for political change which would bring about fair democratic elections and a multi party
state, and reduce the power of the secret police among other things. These were all hated and
feared aspects of the communist regime and by removing them he wanted to give the Czechoslovak
people a greater say in the running of the country. He also wanted to remove travel restrictions and
bring about fresh contact with the west, opening up to trade with them too. This attempt at a freer
version of communism was not handled well throughout the USSR.
Dubcek's proposed changes for the Czechoslovak people and country as a whole worried Soviet
officials as they deemed them to be too 'anti communist' and feared other Warsaw-pact nations
would follow suit. Thus another key event was on the 20-21 August 1968 when thousands of Soviet
troops, backed by units from Bulgaria, East Germany, Hungary and Poland entered Czechoslovakia.
The aim was to try and re-establish control of the government to make sure no more expansion was
made into a relationship with the west. Czechoslovaks angry with communism and how it worsened
their standard of living, threw bottles at tanks, tore down street signs to throw off invaders and
argued with soviet soldiers. However no effort was made by the Czechoslovak army and there were
minimal casualties. Dubcek and his other government officials were arrested and taken to Moscow,
forced to accept the end of the countries move to democracy further worsening the attitude
towards communism. This enforced the iron first the USSR was ready to rule with to keep the
eastern bloc in check to keep up their image of success and power to oppose the west.
Lastly, the final key event took place after the forced re-take of Czechoslovakia when the soviets
used propaganda to show that the events in Czechoslovakia were a serious threat to the Warsaw
Pact and the USSR. In the autumn of 1968, Leonid Brezhnev, the new leader of the USSR introduced
the Brezhnev Doctrine in order to justify the invasion. This introduced the ideology that the USSR
could invade any country in the Warsaw Pact whose actions appeared to threaten the security of the
eastern bloc. This really expressed the harsh policies the USSR had to put in place to keep control
over the other Warsaw pact countries and how the attitude towards communism was at an all time
low. The doctrine redefined communism as a one party system and declared that all member
countries had to remain part of the Warsaw Pact.
