1. Lesson starter: Describe the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 (4 marks)
Czechoslovakia 1968
Lesson starter:
Describe the Hungarian Uprising of (4 marks)
Today we will understand the events of the Czechoslovakia Uprising in 1968

2. The Hungarian Uprising showed the USSR would not tolerate rebellions against Communism
Next country who tries to get independence is Czechoslovakia
USSR control had kept Czech poorer than it should have been
Protests against Communist Party
1968 – new leader of Communist Party Alexander Dubcek

3. Dubcek is liberal
Has new ideas for Czech;
Allowing political parties
Freedom of religion
Trade unions allowed
End of press censorship
Basically more freedom
‘The Prague Spring’
He assures Brezhnev (USSR leader) that Czech will not leave the Warsaw Pact (military alliance of Eastern European countries)

4. Czechs supported Dubcek, as did Yugoslavia and Romania
USSR didn’t
Scared of Czech leaving Warsaw Pact
Scared other countries would want the same
Soviets planned to invade Czechoslovakia
Sent tanks
By July 1968, 75,000 Soviet troops on Czech border

5. July – USSR ask Dubcek to change his policy
He did not – he didn’t believe USSR would invade
USSR apparently received a letter from Czech Communists asking for help
Night of 20th August 1968, Soviet troops enter Czechoslovakia
There were also troops from Poland, Bulgaria etc making it look like a Warsaw Pact invasion

6. Czechs did not resist – no point
Got on with daily business
Placed flowers on tanks and on soldiers
Some small resistance
Students destroying street names to confuse troops
Anti-Soviet radio
Dubcek arrested and force to sign a contract ending his reforms
New leader – Gustav Hasak – pro-Soviet

7. Hungary and Czechoslovakia
Similarities?
Sick of USSR control
Leaders – Nagy/Dubcek
USSR military invasion
No help from West
Differences?
Hungary started with riots
Dubcek said he would stay in Warsaw Pact, Nagy did not
Dubcek still communist, Nagy not
Hungary fought back, Czechs did not
Nagy killed, Dubcek was not
Hungary lasted only a few days – Czech four months