Czechoslovakia and the Prague Spring

The Czechoslovakian people were not pleased with the Communist control happening in 1968. In 1967 Alexander Dubček became the new leader of the Czech Communist party. He proposed some changes such as more freedom of speech and reduction in the secret police activities. Although he reassured Brezhnev that Czechoslovakia had not plans of leaving the Warsaw Pact.
As censorship had been eased, the opposition started to launch attacks on the Communist leadership pointing out how corrupt and useless they were. These attacks happened also in television and radio. This period was known as "Prague Spring". By the summer more radical ideas were emerging and there was the discussion of allowing a new Social Democratic Party.
Since Czechoslovakia was one of the most important countries in the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Union kept an eye on them and their changes and they were very worried that these changes spread to other Communist countries. In order to counteract, he USSR tried to slow Dubček down. They were going to impose economic sanctions but they didn't because if not Czechs were going to ask for help to the West. 
In July the USSR and the Czechs had a summit conference where Dubček agreed not to allow a new Social Democratic Party. The tension was starting to ease. However the 20 of August 1968, Soviet tanks moved into Czechoslovakia. There was little resistance and Dubček was removed from power.

After this episode with Czechoslovakia, the Brezhnev Doctrine raised. Mainly it consisted in: A one party system and to remain a member of the Warsaw Pact.

Comentarios

Publicar un comentario

Entradas más populares de este blog

The Warsaw Pact

Imagen
The Warsaw Pact, was a collective defence treaty signed in Warsaw among the Soviet Union and seven Soviet satellite states of Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War. It was created in reaction to the integration of West Germany into NATO in 1955, but it is also considered to have been motivated by Soviet desires to maintain control over military forces in Central and Eastern Europe. There was no direct confrontation between them. Instead, the conflict was fought on an ideological basis and in proxy wars. Both NATO and the Warsaw Pact led to the expansion of military forces and their integration into the respective blocs. The Pact began to unravel in its entirety with the spread of the Revolutions of 1989 through the Eastern Bloc, beginning with the Solidarity movement in Poland and its electoral success in June 1989. East Germany withdrew from the Pact in 1990. On 25 February 1991, the Pact was declared at an end at a meeting of defence and foreign ministers from the six
Leer más

Gorbachev

Imagen
Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985 when it was on a crisis and its economy was very weak. Gorbachev seemed to be different to other leaders. Citizens had no longer loyalty to the government or they did not even care. Gorbachev was very worried about alcoholism since life expectancy of Soviet men decreased from 67 in 1964 to 62 in 1980 and it also meant a decline in Soviet industry. Gorbachev knew that to solve the problems, Communist slogans were not enough. In 1987 his perestroika programme (restructuring programme) allowed markets forced to be introduced into the Soviet economy. For the first time in 60 years it was no longer illegal to buy and sell for profit. He began to cut spend on defense since it was an enormous drain on the Soviet economy. Two years later, the USA and the USSR signed a treaty to remove most of their missiles from Europe. Gorbachev also withdrew Soviet troops from Afghanistan. However all his policies were not successful. In 1990,
Leer más

Poland and Solidarity

Imagen
During the Communist control over Poland, there were regular protests about wages and food prices. During the first half of the 1970s Polish industry performed well. Polish citizens seemed happy about their communist state. However their economy hit a crisis, 1976 was a bad year and 1979 was the worst year for the industries. The government did not know how to solve it and they tried to hide the crisis. Trade unions were ineffective so Polish workers settled up small and independent trade unions. In 1980 strikes broke out all over the country and the new trade union, Solidarity, was getting stronger. In August 1980, Lech Walesa put forward 21 demands to the government and they started a free trade union called Solidarity. The 30th of August the government agreed to all 21 Solidarity's demands and Solidarity members continued growing. In February 1981 the Prime Minister resigned and was replaced by the leader of the army, Jaruzelski. In May “Rural Solidarity” was set u
Leer más