Prague Spring

:This article refers to a period of history of Czechoslovakia in 1968. For the music festival of the same name, see Prague Spring International Music Festival.

Occupation of Czechoslovakia

The period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia came to an end in 1968 when 200,000–600,000 Warsaw Pact troops and 5,000–7,000 tanks invaded the country, on the night from 20 to 21 August (hence the difference in the date of invasion in various sources). Most of the Czechoslovakian army, 11 of 12 divisions, following secret orders from the Warsaw Pact, had been deployed on the West German frontier. The invasion came on the eve of the congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia which was expected to entrench the reformers and decisively defeat the neo-Stalinist rump. In fact the Czechoslovak communists did meet, in a factory, and endorsed the reform programme, but by then the facts-on-the-ground rendered the congress pointless.

Related Topics:
Tank - 21 August - Communist Party of Czechoslovakia - Stalinist

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~