Prague Spring 1968.

1. Prague Spring 1968. Meeting 9.

2. The de-Stalinization initiated by the XX Congress of the Soviet Party did not bring immediate results in Czechoslovakia. Unlike in Poland (the “Thaw”) and Hungary (Revolution), Czechoslovakia did not perform any immediate changes and reforms. Economic problems resulted in the “softening” of terror, but even in 1958 4.3 thousand citizens were sent to prison for political offences. By 1961 the number “dropped” to 1.7 thousand. It was the beginning of economic problems in late 1950s and early 1960s, along with cultural renaissance which stimulated slow changes.

3. 1967 6 June Czechoslovakia condemns Israel for its attack on the Arab countries. 10 June Czechoslovakia breaks relations with Israel. 27-29 June 4thWriters’ Congress condemns the policy of the Communist Party after 1948. 26-27 September Writers’ Congress is condemned by the Communist Party Central Committee. 31 October Student protests in Prague crushed by the secret police. 19-21 December Novotny’s policy is criticised at the Central Committee. Process of reforms in Czechoslovakia becomes uncontrolled.

4. 1968 3-5 January First secretary of Czechoslovak communist party, Antonin Novotny ousted and succeeded by Alexander Dubcek (Slovak); Novotny remains president. 29-30 January Dubcek visits Moscow. 4 February Dubcek meets with Janos Kadar in Slovakia. 7 February Dubcek meets with Władysław Gomułka in Ostrava. 22 February Meeting of Communist Party leaders in Czechoslovakia (anniversary of 1948 coup) allows Dubcek to present his program to leaders of other countries. Dubcek’s ideas are met with huge distance and reservations. 26 February-5 March Meeting of Communist Parties’ representatives in Budapest investigates the situation in Czechoslovakia. 4/6 March Practically full freedom of speech is introduced.

5. 23 March Representatives of 6 Communist Parties in Dresden discuss the situation in Czechoslovakia (Romanians are absent). Czech and Slovak politicians are strongly criticised (most sympathetic, albeit critical is Kadar). 30 March Ludwik Svoboda becomes president. 5 April “Action Programme” issued by the Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Party.The program suggested that the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (ČSSR) find its own path towards mature socialism rather than follow the Soviet Union. AP called for the acknowledgment of individual liberties, the introduction of political and economic reforms, and a change in the structure of the nation. http://www.unz.org/Pub/MarxismToday-1968jul-00205?View=PDF

6. Action Programme: Individual liberties the programme promised complete freedom of speech, movement (which included the right to travel to western countries), debate and association as well as an end to arbitrary arrests. Security organizations would be held accountable to parliament and the courts were to have a larger, more prominent role, although they would not be completely independent. Economic changes AP suggested that the government be confined to general economic policy and to protect the consumers' rather than the producers' interests. A much greater freedom for the industrial enterprises in finding markets. Also, there was an effort to have an equality in economic relations between the Soviet Union and the ČSSR and the withdrawal of the remaining Soviet economic advisors. Federal structure With respect to Slovakia, the programme admitted that the existing asymmetrical system was unfair, and proposed federalisation between Slovakia and the Czech lands. The Slovak national council and the Slovak council of ministries would serve as the executive authority in Bratislava. To enjoy the full benefit from the federalization; however, Slovakia would have to drastically catch up economically to the industrialized Czech lands. The End of Democratic Centralism In this time, the party organization was under a considerable amount of pressure for immediate change. The programme admitted to these ideas but insisted that decisions were binding, in that democratic centralism was to be restructured and lower party organizations should have more say and influence on decision making, but party discipline was to remain. Foreign relations In foreign relations, the programme called for recognition of Israel and the enforcement of a cut in arms deliveries to Egypt and Nigeria. Source: AP

7. 9 April Central Committee of Czech C.P. declares “Open door” policy. 10 April New cabinet in Czechoslovakia; p.m. Otto Cernik. 4 May Czechoslovak Party and government representatives discuss the situation in their country with Soviet leaders in Moscow. 10-17 May Polish-Soviet military manoeuvres in Poland engage 80 thousand soldiers and 2600 tanks – a clear warning for Czechoslovakia. Similar activities take place in GDR. 4-15 June Czechoslovak deputies visit Moscow. 13-15 June Czechoslovak delegation visits Kadar. 17-18 June Czechoslovak delegation in Berlin. 20 June 10 day Warsaw Pact manoeuvres in Czechoslovakia. 27 June Czechoslovak intelligentsia criticize party’s politics (Two thousand words to workers, peasants, scholars, teachers and others) a call to back communist party in reforms is signed by over 4000 signatories and published by official press.

8. 4-6 July Communist parties, after consultations – summon Czechoslovak delegation to Warsaw talks. 14-15 July Five members of Warsaw Pact admonish the Czechoslovak communist party’s policies to adhere to the ideals and policies inspired by Marxism-Leninism; meeting takes place without Czechs and Slovaks in Warsaw. The letter sent by the meeting to Czech and Slovak Communists is rejected. 29 July-1 August Another meeting between Czechs and Soviets in Cierna (Czechoslovak-USSR border). 3 August Representatives of 6 Communist parties discuss the situation in Czechoslovakia; meeting takes place in Bratislava. 9-11 August Josip Broz-Tito visits Czechoslovakia backing reforms. 15-17 August Nicolae Ceausescu visits Czechoslovakia backing reforms. 17 August Dubcek confirms the socialist character of changes during meeting with Janos Kadar of Hungary.

9. 3 August 1968 meeting in Bratislava

10. 21 August Soviet tanks, troops and planes (and nominal contingent from other Warsaw Pact countries – Bulgaria, GDR, Hungary and Poland) invade Czechoslovakia to crush “Prague Spring” in defence of socialism putting into life the so-called Danube plan; Dubcek remains first secretary but Gustav Husak becomes the real authority. GDR troops did not cross the border with Czechoslovakia; Romania refused to send their troops. Brezhnev’s doctrine – a threat to communism is an international not a domestic problem. This programme is put into life in Czechoslovakia, although it will be formulated only several weeks later in „Pravda” and finally during meetings in Poland. 22 August XIV Congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia condemns the intervention by the Warsaw Pact troops.

11. 26 August Moscow protocol signed by Dubcek, who was kidnapped to Moscow with closest collaborators (the protocol agrees to have Soviet troops based in Czechoslovakia to control the situation). 23-28 August In Moscow the representatives of Czechoslovak and Soviet Parties reach a compromise according to Soviet wishes.

21. 8 September Ryszard Siwiec burns himself publicly during Harvest Festival in Warsaw in protest against invasion. 11 September Soviet troops leave Prague. 25 September Leonid Brezhnev presents his doctrine in a “Pravda” article 16 October A treaty signed providing permanent stationing of Soviet troops in Czechoslovakia. 12 November The Brezhnev Doctrine is advanced in a speech before the Polish party congress: “a threat to a Socialist country is a threat to all Socialist countries”. This includes both international and domestic policy. 1969 16 January (3:15 p.m.) Self burning of a Czech student Jan Palach in Prague. 25 January Jan Palach’s funeral 17 April Alexander Dubcek is replaced by Gustav Husak. Dubcek will become Czechoslovak ambassador to Turkey and in the following year was recalled home and ousted from the party. He worked for a forestry company. 5-17 June A meeting of 75 Communist parties in Moscow; Soviet leaders hope for a condemnation of China but fail.

22. 10 September Kosygin signs an agreement with Otto Cernik

23. January-April 7 more suicides, mainly through self-immolation: 20 January – student Josef Hlavaty 22 January – builder Miroslav Malinka; Blanka Nachazelova suffocated herself with coal gas 25 February – student Jan Zajic 4 April – worker Evzen Plocek (40 years old) Between January and April at least 26 people attempted suicide in Czechoslovakia, Scotland and Hungary. Seven other did it in Pakistan, India and the USA. 25-29 September Central Committee of the Communist Party declares some decrees of 1968 illegal and ousts some activists from the Party.

24. 1970 28-30 January Communist Party of Czechoslovakia purges itself. About 21.7% of party members are thrown out (326.8 thousand) of the party. Another 150 thousand leave on the own choice. Casualties:In the period between invasion (21 August) and 3 September when the action was almost over 72 people were killed and 266 wounded. By 17 December 1968, these numbers rose to 94 killed (53 shot, 38 killed by military vehicles and alike). • In total, the occupation of Czechoslovakia claimed 108 lives through the end of the year 1968, with another 500 seriously injured and hundreds more slightly injured. • http://old.ustrcr.cz/en/august-1968-victims-of-the-occupation 1970 28-30 January Communist Party of Czechoslovakia purges itself. About 21.7% of party members are thrown out (326.8 thousand) of the party. Another 150 thousand leave on the own choice. Casualties:In the period between invasion (21 August) and 3 September when the action was almost over 72 people were killed and 266 wounded. By 17 December 1968, these numbers rose to 94 killed (53 shot, 38 killed by military vehicles and alike). • In total, the occupation of Czechoslovakia claimed 108 lives through the end of the year 1968, with another 500 seriously injured and hundreds more slightly injured. • http://www.ustrcr.cz/en/august-1968-victims-of-the-occupation

26. From Pravda, September 25, 1968; translated by Novosti, Soviet press agency. Reprinted in L. S. Stavrianos, TheEpic of Man (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice­Hall, 1971), pp. 465­466. In connection with the events in Czechoslovakia the question of the correlation and interdependence of the national interests of the socialist countries and their international duties acquire particular topical and acute importance. The measures taken by the Soviet Union, jointly with other socialist countries, in defending the socialist gains of the Czechoslovak people are of great significance for strengthening the socialist community, which is the main achievement of the international working class. We cannot ignore the assertions, held in some places, that the actions of the five socialist countries run counter to the Marxist­Leninist principle of sovereignty and the rights of nations to self­determination. The groundlessness of such reasoning consists primarily in that it is based on an abstract, nonclass approach to the question of sovereignty and the rights of nations to self­determination. The peoples of the socialist countries and Communist parties certainly do have and should have freedom for determining the ways of advance of their respective countries.

27. However, none of their decisions should damage either socialism in their country or the fundamental interests of other socialist countries, and the whole working class movement, which is working for socialism. This means that each Communist party is responsible not only to its own people, but also to all the socialist countries, to the entire Communist movement. Whoever forget this, in stressing only the independence of the Communist party, becomes one­sided. He deviates from his international duty. Marxist dialectics are opposed to one­sidedness. They demand that each phenomenon be examined concretely, in general connection with other phenomena, with other processes. Just as, in Lenin's words, a man living in a society cannot be free from the society, one or another socialist state, staying in a system of other states composing the socialist community, cannot be free from the common interests of that community. The sovereignty of each socialist country cannot be opposed to the interests of the world of socialism, of the world revolutionary movement. Lenin demanded that all Communists fight against small­nation narrow­mindedness, seclusion and isolation, consider the whole and the general, subordinate the particular to the general interest. The socialist states respect the democratic norms of international law. They have proved this more than once in practice, by coming out resolutely against the attempts of imperialism to violate the sovereignty and independence of nations.

28. It is from these same positions that they reject the leftist, adventurist conception of "exporting revolution," of "bringing happiness" to other peoples. However, from a Marxist point of view, the norms of law, including the norms of mutual relations of the socialist countries, cannot be interpreted narrowly, formally, and in isolation from the general context of class struggle in the modern world. The socialist countries resolutely come out against the exporting and importing of counterrevolution Each Communist party is free to apply the basic principles of Marxism Leninism and of socialism in its country, but it cannot depart from these principles (assuming, naturally, that it remains a Communist party). Concretely, this means, first of all, that, in its activity, each Communist party cannot but take into account such a decisive fact of our time as the struggle between two opposing social systems-capitalism and socialism. This is an objective struggle, a fact not depending on the will of the people, and stipulated by the world's being split into two opposite social systems. Lenin said: "Each man must choose between joining our side or the other side. Any attempt to avoid taking sides in this issue must end in fiasco."

29. It has got to be emphasized that when a socialist country seems to adopt a "non­affiliated" stand, it retains its national independence, in effect, precisely because of the might of the socialist community, and above all the Soviet Union as a central force, which also includes the might of its armed forces. The weakening of any of the links in the world system of socialism directly affects all the socialist countries, which cannot look indifferently upon this. The antisocialist elements in Czechoslovakia actually covered up the demand for so­called neutrality and Czechoslovakia's withdrawal from the socialist community with talking about the right of nations to self­determination. However, the implementation of such "self­determination," in other words, Czechoslovakia's detachment from the socialist community, would have come into conflict with its own vital interests and would have been detrimental to the other socialist states. Such "self­determination," as a result of which NATO troops would have been able to come up to the Soviet border, while the community of European socialist countries would have been split, in effect encroaches upon the vital interests of the peoples of these countries and conflicts, as the very root of it, with the right of these people to socialist self­determination. Discharging their internationalist duty toward the fraternal peoples of Czechoslovakia and defending their own socialist gains, the U.S.S.R. and the other socialist states had to act decisively and they did act against the antisocialist forces in Czechoslovakia.

30. Jan Palach, Czech student, who committed suicide after the invasion. • 16 January Self burning of a Czech student Jan Palach in Prague. • 25 January Jan Palach’s funeral

31. Jan Zajic

32. Evzen Plocek