What were the main causes of the Prague Spring?

Learning objective – to be able to evaluate the causes of the Prague Spring of 1968. I can describe the key reasons of the Prague Spring. Grade D I can explain the key causes of the Prague Spring. Grade B I can evaluate the causes of the Prague Spring and explain the proposals of Dubcek. Grade A

Answer – choose a word from this word cloud and write down its importance to the lesson when you come across it.

Leonid Brezhnev and Alexander Dubcek USSR President from 1964 who won a power struggle after Khrushchev’s fall. Alexander Dubcek Czechoslovakian Communist Party leader – the most powerful position in Czechoslovakia – from January 1968. A popular leader, on good terms with Brezhnev, who wanted to create a popular and less repressive form of Communism.

Why did Czechoslovakia want change in 1968? Hatred of Novotny’s hard line regime and Soviet control. Desire for greater freedom and democracy. Falling living standards. Influence of the Hungarian Uprising of 1956.

Hatred of Novotny’s hard line regime and Soviet control Why? Antonin Novotny was the Communist Party leader in Czechoslovakia since 1953. The Soviet Union had been in control of Czechoslovakia since 1948. What? Novotny used the secret police to crush all political opposition and took a hard line in implementing change in Czechoslovakia so it was run along Soviet lines. The economic reforms he introduced with emphasis on heavy industry had failed by the early 1960s leading to depression. Significant? Novotny’s repressive control and economic failure lead to a challenge to his leadership.

Desire for greater freedom and democracy Why? Czechoslovakia had a history of democracy. In the 1930s, they were the only country to have an elected government in Central Europe. What? Novotny’s government became increasingly corrupt and this led to a desire to want to overthrow the controls the Soviet Union had placed on Czechoslovakia. With political repression after having a history of democracy, the Czech people wanted a return to their ‘old ways’. Significant? Such was Novotny’s repression, he was replaced by Alexander Dubcek in 1968.

Falling living standards Why? Economic reforms emphasised heavy industry over consumerism. What? The economic reforms of the Novotny government failed by the early 1960s. As a result, living standards were falling rapidly. Significant? Falling living standards led to greater opposition to the Novotny government who had seen to have failed by the population.

Influence of the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 Why? A key cause of the Hungarian Uprising was the desire for the changes that Czechoslovakia wanted. Although, Czechoslovakia saw how the USSR had dealt with the uprising in Hungary. What? Dubcek was a friend of Brezhnev and wanted to be clear that he remained a Soviet ally and that the Czech people would not launch a violent attack on any Soviet troops. This was all mindful of what had happened in Hungary in 1956. Significant? This meant that any reforms Dubcek wanted were not going to challenge directly Soviet control in the way that Hungary did.

What reforms did the Prague Spring propose? The Prague Spring was the name given to the reforms Dubcek wanted to implement in Czechoslovakia in April 1968. The aim was to create a genuinely popular form of Communism with loosening of state controls over politics and culture. The changes were popularised by Dubcek’s phrase – ‘Socialism with a Human Face’. The reforms covered – Censorship Businesses Workers’ Councils Foreign travel New Parliament

What reforms did the Prague Spring propose? Censorship Relaxing censorship controls meant that the government could be criticised in the media. This led to newspapers printing evidence of Novotny’s corruption and neglect of social issues, such as housing. Business Businesses were given greater freedoms and private ownership was encouraged. This was called ‘market socialism’.

What reforms did the Prague Spring propose? Workers’ Councils Workers in factories were allowed to elect councils who acted like trade unions in the West. Travel Czech citizens were given the opportunity to travel freely aboard, unlike other citizens in the Soviet satellite states.

What reforms did the Prague Spring propose? New Parliament Dubcek proposed a new parliament for Czechoslovakia which would be elected and Communist members had the freedom to choose which path to follow and could deviate from Party views.

Task Complete the spider diagram on the causes of the Prague Spring of 1968. Causes of the Prague Spring Novotny Desire for democracy Influence of Hungary Falling living standards

Business and Market Socialism Task Rearrange the five reforms of the Prague Spring below into a list of significance, with the most significant threat to Soviet control at the top. Then write a sentence on each to say how each change could impact upon Czechoslovakia. Censorship Business and Market Socialism Freedom of travel Workers’ Councils New Parliament

Plenary This word cloud is in the shape of Czechoslovakia. Spot as many words as you can in the word cloud and explain why each word is significant in this lesson.