In 1968, there was good hope in Czechoslovakia that it would leave the communist dictatorship behind. This Prague Spring would ultimately last eight months. Warsaw Pact troops intervened harshly to restore the status quo.
Background
The Munich Agreement (1938) turned out badly for Czechoslovakia. Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany had captured the Sudetenland in 1938. To prevent escalation, the English and French decided not to intervene. Hitler in turn had to promise not to invade Czechoslovakia any further. The Czechoslovaks were sidelined and felt betrayed by the English and French. This was the breeding ground for a communist movement that was increasingly gaining momentum within Czechoslovakia.
After WWII
Czechoslovakia, occupied by the Germans in World War II, quickly fell under communist influence at the hands of Josef Stalin’s Soviet Union. In 1948, the communists seized power, under the watchful eye of Moscow. In the 1950s there was a true reign of terror in Czechoslovakia. Political opponents were persecuted by the communists. Thousands of people disappeared, there was censorship and people were not allowed to travel freely. And this while Czechoslovakia was traditionally the most liberal country in the Warsaw Pact.
60’s
From the early 1960s onwards, the dictatorial regime was loosened and people were able to acquire more freedoms. Czechoslovakia was doing well economically and there were more and more protests against the reign of terror of the 1950s. People on the streets dared to speak openly again, which fueled the idea that more freedoms might be possible.
1968: Alexander Dubcek
On January 5, 1968, Party Leader Novotny was replaced by Alexander Dubcek, who became first Party Secretary. Dubcek had big plans for Czechoslovakia. He wanted to continue on the path that had been taken during the 1960s; more freedom, censorship and transparency. Dubcek unfolded his plans in an ambitious manner with the underlying idea of introducing communism with a human face. He also fiercely opposed the abuses that had occurred in the past.
20-08-1968: Operation Danube
The Soviets watched passively as their influence in Czechoslovakia continued to decline. They believed that Dubcek went too far in his plans. He was called to account for this several times. However, the situation did not change much. This forced the Soviet Union to intervene militarily. Under the name Operation Danube, 800 aircraft and 6,000 tanks from the entire Eastern Bloc were deployed to change the situation. Several posts were attacked and people were captured. The Prague Spring had ended. There would be permanent Soviet Union armies in Czechoslovakia for years to come to keep a close eye on the situation.