Czechoslovakia's economy and living standards declined
any opposition to communism was crushed
communist rule became very unpopular
lack of freedom
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Alexander Dubcek
January 1968, Dubcek became the Czechoslovakian leader
He was a communist and supporter of the Warsaw Pact but wanted to make communism better and easier to live under. Called this 'socialism with a face'
Reforms resulted in the 'Prague Spring' - a period of increased political freedom, resulting in lots of criticism of communism
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Dubcek's reforms
relaxation of censorship meant more freedom to write things - even criticism
more democracy allowed other parties alongside the Communist Party
more power was given to the Czechoslovakian parliament and Soviet control was reduced
the economy was reformed with 'market socialism' allowing for the introduction of some 'capitalist elements
powers of the secret police were reduced
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How Czechoslovaks and the communist world responde
students, intellectuals, workers and young members of the Communist Party welcomed Dubcek's reforms enthusiastically
led to writers - such as Vaclav Havel and Milan Kundera - writing books that were highly critical of Soviet-style communism
members of the secret police and some senior army officers resented losing their power and status
horrified many older Czechoslovakian communists as they felt communism would collapse
Communist leaders, like Brezhnev, feared the Prague Spring would lead to demands for reform elsewhere in the Eastern bloc that would threaten the communist rule
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Brezhnev's response
Brezhnev couldn't allow the reforms, as any weakness in control would mean the break-up of the Warsaw Pact
He failed to convince Dubcek to stop the reforms
1968, the Soviet Union sent tanks to Prague and Dubcek was arrested
Czechoslovakia returned to being under strict Soviet control under Gustav Husak - known as 'normalisation'
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Consequences of the Brezhnev doctrine
the Soviet Union declared the right to invade any Eastern bloc country that was threatening the security of the Eastern bloc as a whole
the USA condemned the invasion but did nothing to prevent it - feared war
Western European communist parties were horrified and declared themselves independent from the Soviet Communist Party
Yugoslavia and Romania backed off from the Soviet Union, weakening the USSR's grip
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The importance of the Soviet invasion
Brezhnev doctrine meant that the Soviet Union reserved the right to invade any country that threatened the security of the Eastern bloc
Other Eastern European states - such as Poland and Hungary - were required to rigidly stick to the Soviet-style communism or risk invasion
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