Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia

Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia

On 20–21 August 1968, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was invaded by four countries in the Warsaw Pact: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and the Hungarian People's Republic. This big military action was called Operation Danube. About 250,000 soldiers, tanks, and airplanes were involved.

The invasion stopped changes in Czechoslovakia called the Prague Spring. These changes tried to make life easier for people. After the invasion, the country's leaders became stricter.

Many people around the world had different feelings about what happened. Some countries and groups supported the invasion. Others, like Romania, the People's Republic of China, and the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, thought it was wrong. This event later helped leaders from different countries try to get along better.

Background

Novotný's regime: late 1950s – early 1960s

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Czechoslovakia began to change under leader Antonín Novotný. But it changed more slowly than other countries in the Eastern Bloc. Even though Nikita Khrushchev had suggested new ideas, Novotný said that the country’s rules were set. However, things did not change quickly. For example, people who had been unfairly treated under strict leaders before were not cleared of charges until 1967.

During this time, Czechoslovakia’s economy began to struggle. When Novotný tried new economic plans in 1965, people began to ask for more political changes too.

1967 Writers' Congress

As the government began to loosen its rules, a group of writers started to speak up about problems. In June 1967, some writers, including Ludvík Vaculík, Milan Kundera, and others, shared their ideas in a magazine called Literární noviny. They thought that writers should be free to write what they believed.

Prague Spring

Main article: Prague Spring

The Prague Spring was a time of change in Czechoslovakia that started on January 5, 1968, when Alexander Dubček became the leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. It ended on August 21 when the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries sent soldiers into the country to stop the changes.

During this time, Dubček tried to give people more freedom. He wanted citizens to have more rights and allowed easier access to media, speech, and travel. There were also talks about splitting Czechoslovakia into two parts: the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.

Brezhnev's government

Leonid Brezhnev and leaders of the Warsaw Pact countries worried that the changes in Czechoslovakia might hurt their interests. They feared that Czechoslovakia might leave the group of countries that followed the Soviet Union’s lead. These concerns led to the decision to send soldiers into Czechoslovakia.

Dubček's rise to power

As President Antonín Novotný lost support, Alexander Dubček, leader of the Communist Party of Slovakia, challenged him. Novotný asked Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev for help, but Brezhnev agreed Novotný should leave. Dubček became the new leader on 5 January 1968. Novotný left his role as president on 22 March 1968, replaced by Ludvík Svoboda, who agreed to the changes.

Socialism with a human face

Main article: Socialism with a human face

Dubček spoke about needing change after Czechoslovakia became a socialist country. He wanted the government to work better and listen more to people. In April, Dubček shared plans to make life better, like letting people speak freely and allowing different ideas. These plans aimed to make the economy stronger and give people more control over their lives.

Dubček’s changes let people speak and write freely. Some wanted to go faster with the changes, while others were careful. Dubček asked everyone to stay calm and follow the party’s lead. He planned a big meeting in September to share these ideas officially.

Dubček’s changes let people talk about their ideas openly. The government stopped controlling what people could read or watch. People could now learn about their history and ask questions about the past. Meetings on television let ordinary people talk with writers and leaders about important issues. This freedom brought new discussions into everyday life.

Czechoslovak negotiations with the USSR and other Warsaw Pact states

Before the invasion, leaders from the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia tried to solve their differences through talks. They met in July 1968 at Čierna nad Tisou, close to the Slovak-Soviet border. This was the first time the Soviet leaders met outside their country.

During the talks, Alexander Dubček, the leader of Czechoslovakia, defended his ideas for change but promised to stay loyal to the Warsaw Pact and work with the Soviet Union. However, not everyone in Czechoslovakia agreed with Dubček’s reforms. Some leaders wanted to keep things the way they were. Eventually, both sides agreed that Czechoslovakia would limit certain changes and control its newspapers more strictly. In return, the Soviet Union said it would pull its troops out of Czechoslovakia. After these talks, Dubček told his country that Czechoslovakia would remain allied with the Soviet Union.

Later, in August 1968, leaders from several countries, including the Soviet Union, East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Czechoslovakia, met in Bratislava. They signed a declaration promising to support their shared beliefs and work together. However, when these talks did not go as the Soviet Union hoped, they started planning a military invasion instead. This idea became known as the Brezhnev Doctrine.

United States

The United States and NATO did not get involved in Czechoslovakia. President Lyndon B. Johnson was busy with the Vietnam War and wanted to make an arms control agreement with the Soviets, called SALT. He did not want to risk that agreement by trying to help Czechoslovakia, so the United States decided not to interfere.

Invasion and intervention

In the evening of August 20, 1968, armies from four countries in the Warsaw Pact—the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Poland, and Hungary—entered Czechoslovakia. They had many soldiers and tanks. Later, the number of soldiers grew even larger. The leader of the Soviet Union wanted it to look like all the countries were working together, but mostly Soviet troops led the way. Soldiers from the other countries did not fight.

Romania and Albania did not join the invasion. East Germany almost joined but decided not to because leaders in Czechoslovakia were worried about more fighting.

The invading forces were well organized. At the same time troops moved across the border, some soldiers took control of the main airport. They told officials there they needed to land because of a problem with their plane, and then they secured the airport. Tanks and soldiers moved toward Prague and other cities, and there was very little resistance. Even though Czechoslovakia had a strong army, it could not stop the invasion. During the invasion, many Czechs and Slovaks were hurt. The leader of Czechoslovakia, Alexander Dubček, asked people not to fight back. Soviet forces took control of Prague and arrested Dubček and some of his colleagues. He was taken to Moscow but returned to Prague a few days later. Many people left Czechoslovakia because of the invasion, and some countries allowed them to move there.

Reactions in Czechoslovakia

When soldiers from other countries came into Czechoslovakia, many people showed they were against it in peaceful ways. In cities like Prague, people spoke up and protested. Some people threw things like stones and eggs to show their anger. Others refused to give the soldiers food or water.

People also used signs, drawings, and songs to share their feelings. They sometimes tried to confuse the soldiers by giving wrong directions or hiding street signs. After a few days, the protests slowed down because people felt discouraged or scared.

Later, a student named Jan Palach protested in a very sad way. Eventually, the leaders changed, and many reforms were undone. Some people worked secretly for change later on.

Reactions in other Warsaw Pact countries

Soviet Union

Main article: 1968 Red Square demonstration

On August 25, eight people in Red Square held signs against the invasion. They were arrested.

Romania

Main article: Ceaușescu's speech of 21 August 1968

Romania did not join the invasion. Its leader, Nicolae Ceauşescu, gave a speech criticizing the Soviet actions. This helped Romania stay independent.

East Germany

In East Germany, many young people were unhappy about the invasion but any protests were stopped by the police.

Albania

Albania was angry about the invasion and left the Warsaw Pact in September 1968.

Reactions around the world

Many countries were upset by the invasion. Nations like Canada, Denmark, France, Paraguay, the United Kingdom, and the United States asked the United Nations Security Council to discuss what happened. Some people compared the event to other unfair treatments of people in different countries.

Communist parties had different opinions. Some, like in Italy and Spain, spoke out against the invasion. Others supported the action, showing that opinions were divided.

Normalization (1969–1971)

Main article: Normalization (Czechoslovakia)

In the history of Czechoslovakia, normalization (Czech: normalizace, Slovak: normalizácia) was the time from 1969 to 1987. During this time, the country tried to return to how things were before big changes happened.

The term "normalization" is sometimes used just for the years 1969 to 1971.

The ideas behind this time are sometimes called Husakism after the leader Gustáv Husák.

When Husák took over in April 1969, he worked fast to bring the country back under strong control. His main goals were to keep the Communist Party in control and to keep Czechoslovakia closely linked to other socialist countries. He took several steps to do this:

• Strengthened his own leadership and removed people who wanted change from important jobs;
• Changed or removed laws that were made during the time of change;
• Put control of the economy back under central planning;
• Gave police more power; and
• Built stronger ties with other socialist nations.

Husák made big changes right away, removing many people who supported change from their jobs. By May 1971, he told a big meeting that things were back to normal and Czechoslovakia was ready to move forward.

Later reactions and revisionism

After the invasion, some countries said they were sorry for what happened. Hungary was the first to say sorry, saying joining was a mistake. Poland and East Germany also later said their part was wrong. In 1989, Soviet leaders said sending troops into Czechoslovakia was a mistake and called it interference.

In 2006, Russia’s president said his country had a moral responsibility for the invasion. Later, a Russian television program tried to change the story, saying the invasion was to protect Czechoslovakia. But leaders from Slovakia and the Czech Republic said this was not true and hurt the real story.