Czechoslovakia 1968Lesson starter:Describe the Hungarian Uprising of 1956.

Today we will understand the events of the

Czechoslovakia Uprising in 1968

Today we will…

• Understand the events of the Czech uprising in 1968

• Compare this to the Hungarian Uprising in 1956

I can…

• Use my recall knowledge to answer a 5 mark question on Czechoslovakia 1968

• Compare two sources on Hungary/ Czechoslovakia

• The Hungarian Uprising showed the USSR would not tolerate rebellions against Communism

• Next country who tried to get independence was Czechoslovakia

• USSR control had kept Czech poorer than it should have been

• Protests against Communist Party

• 1968 – new leader of Communist Party Alexander Dubcek

• Dubcek is liberal• Has new ideas for

Czech and introduces reform;

• 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)

• 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

• July – USSR told 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

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-34444-4.html

• Czechs did not resist – no point – they had seen thousands killed in Hungary

• 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

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-34444-5.html

Hungary and Czechoslovakia

Similarities?• Sick of USSR control• New Anti Soviet

Leaders – Nagy/Dubcek

• USSR military invasion

• No help from West

Differences?• Hungary started with

riots – Czech had peaceful changes

• 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

Homework Question – WED 9/1

1. Describe the events of the Czechoslovakian Uprising in 1968.

5 marks

(no source, all points from your own knowledge)

Source AIn Hungary in 1956,

students protested against Communist rule and ousted the government. The leader, Imre Nagy announced he was leaving the Warsaw Pact. The Soviet Red Army invaded. Intense violence erupted and 20,000 were killed. The Soviets showed how much control they had over satellite states. Nagy was executed for his part in the attempted revolution.

Source BCzechoslovakia tried to break

free from Soviet control in 1968. Dubcek introduced liberal reforms and announced Czechoslovakia would NOT leave the Warsaw Pact. Soviet Tanks rolled into Prague but were met with little violence – the Czechs used passive resistance. Dubcek was replaced by a new pro- Soviet leader. The Soviet reputation was tarnished as their invasion seemed to be unnecessary.

1. How far do Sources A and B disagree on uprisings in the Soviet Union 1956-1968? 4 marks