Alexander Dubcek's Prague Spring

Prague Spring was a period of time in Czechoslovakia in which the Czechoslovakian government adopted a liberal government that relaxed the policies that were favored by the U.S.S.R. During this time (which lasted from January 1968 to August 1968) the restrictions on speech, press and travel were loosened and the rights of citizens were increased. This was all done under Alexander Dubcek who was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. He rose to power after the then standing Secretary, Antonin Novolin, lost his popularity and support by the Czechoslovakian people. Dubcek’s view supported the loosening of governmental reins and the cease of governmental control on trivial things. These policies did not completely escape …show more content…
While the people of Czechoslovakia enjoyed the relaxed rule of Dubcek the soviet Union felt otherwise. Initially, the Soviet union was not overly concerned with Czechoslovakia’s new form of government but once other countries ruled by the U.S.S.R. took notice, they worried the idea of questioning would spread. The U.S.S.R. worried that the criticism of government might spark a revolution. The soviet union tried to make agreements with Czechoslovakia to censor more free speech but when that failed they sent in military force. The Soviet Union sent in 202,000 Warsaw Pact troops and tanks to occupy Czechoslovakia, which killed and wounded 774 Czechoslovakians. The people of Czechoslovakia did not physically resist these attacks but people were in a panic. Some Czechoslovakians resisted the Soviet Union by painting over all the road signs and directing people to go the wrong way. In response to this the U.S.S.R. gave up their plan to get rid of Dubcek and instead permitted him to stay in office, but laws would be more strict. Czechoslovakia went back to the way it was before the Prague Spring after Dubcek was replaced with Gustav Husak who reversed all of Dubcek's