Soviet invasion of Czechoslavakia

What happened on the 16th January 1969?

A Czechoslovakian student named John Palach set himself on fire and died a few days later after his injuries.

When did the Soviets invade Czechoslovakia?

21st August 1968

What happened during the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia?

• Protests emerged.

• Radio stations received requests to have their news uncensored.

• Road names were destroyed.

• Satirical songs were created.

How many days did it take for the Soviets and Warsaw Pact to withdraw from Czechoslovakia?

24 days.

What is name of the satirical song made about the situation?

“Go home, Ivan. Natasha was waiting for you”

What was China’s response towards the invasion?

• They accused the Soviet Union of a “monstrous crime” and linked it to Hitler’s annexation of Czechoslovakia.

• They used the invasion as propaganda against the Soviet Union.

What was the USA’s response towards the invasion?

• They didn’t want to interfere due to the possibility of making situations worse.

• They viewed Prague Spring as a peripheral event like the student uprisings in Paris and Mexico City.

• They were occupied with other things like the Vietnam War.

What is the Western European’s reaction towards the invasion?

They begun developing their own type of communism called Eurocommunism.

What is the Brezhnev Doctrine?

It is the USSR having the right to intervene in socialist where communism was threatened.