Czech Opposition to Soviet Control (AQA GCSE History) : Revision Note

What was life like in Communist Czechoslovakia? - Summary

The Soviet Union established communism in Czechoslovakia in 1948 through a coup supported by Stalin. This turned Czechoslovakia into a satellite state led by Klement Gottwald.

Life under communist rule was difficult. Five Year Plans set high targets that were often impossible to meet, and workers were poorly treated and paid. This led to low standards of living.

The Soviet Union tightly controlled Czechoslovakia, using the secret police to stop protest and free speech. In the 1940s and 1950s, Stalin ordered purges of military and religious leaders. By the late 1960s, protests and pressure for reform were growing, including from within the Czech Communist Party itself.

What does 'Prague Spring' mean?

• There was a growing desire for change in Czechoslovakia

  • The Czech government under Gottwald was unpopular with the Czech public

• From April 1968, the Czech government released a series of reforms to improve the lives of the Czech public

  • This period of reform is known as the Prague Spring

    • Prague was the capital of Czechoslovakia

    • A 'spring' refers to a period of mass protest and political reform

Who was Alexander Dubcek?

• In 1968, the Czech Communist Party elected Alexander Dubcek as First Secretary

  • The Soviet Union approved the appointment of Dubcek

• The Soviet Union and the Czech Communist Party trusted Dubcek to improve the Czech government's efficiency and popularity

  • Dubcek needed to achieve these aims while remaining loyal to the Soviet Union

• Dubcek was a devout communist. He believed in:

  • the upholding of the Warsaw Pact

  • implementing communism in a way that did not make people's lives miserable

'Socialism with a human face' - the Prague Spring reforms

• Dubcek popularised the term 'Socialism with a human face'

  • Dubcek wanted the Czech public to enjoy living in a communist state by being able to:

    • express their opinion about communism

    • raise concerns about their government without facing punishment

    • gain access to a better quality of life

Dubcek's reforms

Reaction to Dubcek's reforms

• The Czech public reacted positively to the Prague Spring reforms

• The Soviet Union did not like Dubcek's reforms

  • Brezhnev ousted Khrushchev as the leader of the Soviet Union

    • He was not as open to reform as Khrushchev had claimed to be

• The Soviet Union became concerned about Dubcek's commitment to the Warsaw Pact

  • Dubcek confirmed that Czechoslovakia would remain a loyal ally to the Soviet Union

  • Brezhnev did not want Dubcek's actions to encourage other satellite states to reform

    • In the 1960s, the Soviet Union's control over Eastern Europe was not as strong as it had been in the 1940s

    • Yugoslavia had broken away from the Soviet Union

    • Romania had refused to attend Warsaw Pact meetings

    • Brezhnev needed to keep control over Czechoslovakia