Velvet Revolution

The "Velvet Revolution" (Czech: sametová revoluce, Slovak: ne?ná revolúcia) (November 16 - December 29 1989) refers to a bloodless revolution in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the communist government there.

Key events of the following weeks

• November 29 - Parliament, still dominated by the Communists, removed the article guaranteeing a leadership role to the Communist Party and Marxism as a state ideology from the Constitution. The speaker of the federal Parliament resigned.
• November 30 ?
• Education in Marxism-Leninism and the history of international workers' movement officially cancelled for universities and colleges.
• The Presidium of the Slovak parliament (Slovak National Council) resigned. It was gradually replaced by non-Communists.
• The federal government decided that barbed wire should be removed at the border with Austria (later also at the border with West Germany), and that Czechoslovak citizens do not need "exit visa permits" anymore when travelling abroad. Barbed wire at the border with Austria was removed from December 1.
• December 3 - President Gustáv Husák nominated a new federal cabinet, headed by Ladislav Adamec. It had 15 Communist and only 5 non-Communist ministers (so called "15:5 government") and was rejected by the Civic Forum and public demonstrations..
• December 4 - Government announced freedom to travel to Austria (later to all countries). It was no longer necessary to apply for any documents before traveling to Austria. In the following weekend, 250 000 people will visit this country. A permanent queue of cars reaching from the city center of Bratislava to the border crossing with Austria will arise.
• December 6 ? Most members of the government of Czechia were replaced by non-Communists. Franti?ek Pitra remains Prime Minister of the Czech government.
• December 8 ? President Gustáv Husák declared amnesty on political crimes.
• December 10 :
• President Gustáv Husák nominated a federal cabinet, headed by Marián ?alfa, based on an agreement between Civic Forum and the Communists, and resigns. It was the first federal government since 1948 in which the Communists had no majority.
• Strike of theaters was called off, but students stayed on. Secret police burned their files (incomplete files, insufficient to convincingly prove or disprove collaboration, caused embarrassment to many public figures in the following decade).
• 100 000 persons participate in a demonstration walk from Bratislava, Czechoslovakia to Hainburg, Austria.
• December 11- Barbed wire removed from borders with West Germany.
• December 12 - Slovakia received a new government headed by Milan ?i?. It was the first government of Slovakia since 1969, in which the Communists had no majority.
• December 14 - Tomá? J. Ba?a, son of a famous Czech entrepreneur Tomá? Ba?a and a president of Bata Shoes, arrived in Czechoslovakia to a warm welcome by the population as a symbol of old Czech industrial traditions and entrepreneurship, which were suppressed by the Communists and now were to return.
• December 21 - People's Militia was abolished, and their weapons confiscated by the army. Later on it was established that the militia had operated against the law throughout the whole Communist era from 1948.
• December 22 ? The Civic Forum, Public Against Violence, Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and representatives of students and other political entities agreed that Alexander Dub?ek would be made speaker of the federal parliament, while Václav Havel would be made President of the republic.
• December 28 - Federal Parliament, still consisting of Communist deputies coming from rigged one-candidate elections of 1986, passed a law allowing for co-optation of new personalities. Several non-Communists became deputies this way. This reform of the Parliament "from inside" was orchestrated by Prime Minister Marián ?alfa and helped re-establish legitimacy of the Parliament immediately without the need to call elections (which took place in June 1990). Alexander Dub?ek was elected Chairman (speaker) the same day.
• December 29 - Federal Parliament elected Václav Havel as President. Students ended their strike. The Velvet Revolution ended.

In December and the following months, Communist Party lost much of its membership (especially those who joined it only as a vehicle for promoting their business, academic or political career). The federal parliament introduced key laws for promoting civic rights, civic liberties and economic freedom. The first free elections were scheduled for June 1990. Problematic events included the first parliamentary deadlock, caused by Czechs and Slovaks disagreeing over the name of the state (see Dash War, the first step towards a Velvet Divorce), nasty accusations of collaboration with Communist secret police (relying on incomplete documents, as some files were burned in December 1989) and an increase in crime (due to a low esteem for the police and an extensive general pardon by the new president Havel, who in effect released all petty criminals from jails). In general, the population was content, and considered such problems the price of their democracy.

Related Topics:
Dash War - Velvet Divorce

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