Free Membership
Newsletter
Help
Subscribe
Sign In
Search
February 8, 2023
All times are Vienna time
Search
Subscribe
Sign In
Countries:
Africa »
Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burundi Côte d'Ivoire Ethiopia Ghana Guinea Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Mali Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda South Africa Sudan Tanzania The Congo Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
Asia-Pacific »
Afghanistan Australia Bangladesh Cambodia China Hong Kong SAR India Indonesia Japan Laos Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Nepal New Zealand North Korea (DPRK) Pakistan Philippines Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Vietnam
Central- & Eastern Europe »
Albania Bosnia & Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Rep. Estonia Georgia Hungary Kosovo Latvia Lithuania North Macedonia Montenegro Poland Romania Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Ukraine Western Balkans
Middle East »
Egypt Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman Palestinian Territories Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen
Russia & CIS »
Russia Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Moldova Turkmenistan Uzbekistan
The Americas »
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Canada Central America Chile Colombia Cuba Ecuador Mexico Panama Paraguay Peru The Caribbean Uruguay Venezuela
United States
Western Europe »
Belgium Cyprus Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Italy Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malta Monaco Norway Portugal Scotland Spain Sweden Switzerland The Netherlands United Kingdom Vatican City
Business:
Economy
Economic Policies
Investing in Austria
Securities
Earnings
Foreign Trade
Deals
Legal Issues
More Business & Economics+
Politics:
Domestic
Brussels
International
Diplomacy
Companies:
Professional Services »
Banks Financial Services Real Estate Insurance Other Services
Energy »
Oil & Gas Utilities Renewables Mining
Industrials »
Construction Automotive Industrial Goods Basic Resources Chemicals Other Industrials
Transport »
Airlines & Airports Shipping Rail Road
Retail & Consumer
Health Care
Technology
Telecoms
Media
Tourism
Other
Organizations:
Diplomatic Missions
International Organizations
Other
People:
Executives
Politicians
Diplomats
Entrepreneurs
Other
Lifestyle & Travel:
Culture
Travel
Personal Real Estate
Health
Food & Drink
Luxury Goods
More+
More+:
Events
Photo Galleries
Videos
Classifieds
Work & Careers
More+
Home
Countries
Business
Politics
Diplomacy
Companies
Organizations
People
Lifestyle & Travel
More+
Africa
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burundi
Côte d'Ivoire
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Mali
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
The Congo
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Asia-Pacific
Afghanistan
Australia
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
Hong Kong SAR
India
Indonesia
Japan
Laos
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
New Zealand
North Korea (DPRK)
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam
Central- & Eastern Europe
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Rep.
Estonia
Georgia
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
North Macedonia
Montenegro
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Western Balkans
Middle East
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestinian Territories
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Russia & CIS
Russia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
The Americas
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Central America
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Ecuador
Mexico
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
The Caribbean
Uruguay
Venezuela
United States
Western Europe
Belgium
Cyprus
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Norway
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
Vatican City
Economy
Economic Policies
Investing in Austria
Securities
Earnings
Foreign Trade
Deals
Legal Issues
More Business & Economics+
Domestic
Brussels
International
Professional Services
Banks
Financial Services
Real Estate
Insurance
Other Services
Energy
Oil & Gas
Utilities
Renewables
Mining
Industrials
Construction
Automotive
Industrial Goods
Basic Resources
Chemicals
Other Industrials
Transport
Airlines & Airports
Shipping
Rail
Road
Retail & Consumer
Health Care
Technology
Telecoms
Media
Tourism
Other
Diplomatic Missions
International Organizations
Other
Executives
Politicians
Diplomats
Entrepreneurs
Other
Culture
Travel
Personal Real Estate
Health
Food & Drink
Luxury Goods
More+
Events
Photo Galleries
Videos
Classifieds
Work & Careers
More+
Latest News
Ukrainian War
Covid in Austria
USA in Vienna
UK in Vienna
Russia in Vienna
China in Vienna
Iran in Vienna
UN
OSCE
IAEA
OPEC
Sponsored Content
Tweet
Share

Czech Republic and Slovakia Remember Prague Spring

People › Other ♦ Published: August 21, 2022; 22:50 ♦ (Vindobona)
Sponsored Content

The Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic commemorated the Warsaw Pact invasion of the then Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (CSSR) on August 21, 1968. Especially with the background of Russia's current attack on Ukraine, this day is of special significance.

Civil disobedience and various actions occurred to slow down the Warsaw Pact. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons, The Central Intelligence Agency, Public domain

The Czech Republic and Slovakia commemorate the Warsaw Pact invasion of what was then Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968, when the bloody suppression of the "Prague Spring" democracy movement ended hopes for socialism with a human face.

The Prague Spring is the name given to the efforts of the Czechoslovak Communist Party (KSČ) under Alexander Dubček in the spring of 1968 to push through a program of liberalization and democratization and, more importantly, the influence and reinforcement of these reform efforts by a rapidly developing critical public.

On 21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact members invaded the country to suppress the reforms. Following the decision of the KPČ, Dubček called for renouncing violent resistance, as it was futile from the outset. Nevertheless, there were isolated clashes between the civilian population and the invaders.

Sponsored Content

Civil disobedience and various actions to slow down the occupation occurred. The then Czechoslovak Radio also played a major role. Thus, a mobile broadcasting station was used to inform the population. The Austrian ORF also played a big role by informing the Czechoslovakians via shortwave broadcasting stations in Austria. In their own country, they were not informed about the events at all or, in some cases, were misinformed. In addition, pirate radio stations also played an important role, which the Soviet occupation forces were also unable to eliminate.

According to ORF, the invasion of what was then Czechoslovakia claimed 137 lives and injured about 500 people nationwide. The last Soviet occupation soldiers did not leave the CSSR until June 1991, and today both the Czech Republic and Slovakia are in the EU and NATO.

The Prague Spring and the subsequent invasion of the Soviet Union are commemorated this year with the special backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This week marks the seventh month since Russia invaded Ukraine, killing thousands, forcing millions to flee, and causing billions of dollars worth of damage. In remembrance of the 1968 Soviet invasion of then Czechoslovakia, Czech citizens have sent exactly 1,968 crowns ($80) to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia the Ukrainian embassy in Prague said on Sunday, according to Reuters.

Commemoration in Prague

In the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the issue of freedom is more relevant today than it has been for a long time, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said at a commemorative ceremony in front of the Radio building in Prague. According to Fiala, Russia still considers Central Eastern Europe its property and the Russian tanks in Ukraine are a kind of echo of the Prague Spring.

"The reason is simple: Russian tanks are again driving through a foreign country today, this time Ukraine, trying to crush dreams of a better future." The liberal-conservative politician accused the Kremlin of treating the states of East-Central Europe as its property to this day. The war in Ukraine, he said, meant the end of the illusion that Russian imperialism had ended with communism. One must continue to support the attacked country militarily, humanitarian and diplomatically, he said.

54 years ago, Soviet tanks entered Czechoslovakia and crushed our dreams of freedom. Russia is now repeating its propaganda. It labels aggression as a "special operation" like it previously was "brotherly help" to us. Freedom will always be stronger than Russian imperialism. pic.twitter.com/d84oJ5Wf4g

— Czech MFA (@CzechMFA) August 21, 2022

Commemoration in Bratislava

Prime Minister Eduard Heger also spoke about the parallels with the situation in Ukraine during the commemoration of the anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia in front of Comenius University in Bratislava.

Heger also pointed out the fragility of peace and freedom. "Freedom is under attack today not only in Ukraine. Freedom is under attack here as well. I dare say that Moscow is waging a hybrid war with Europe today," he said. He referred to the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis. He stated that the government will not leave citizens without help.

Sponsored Content

#OTD 54 YA armies of Warsaw Pact countries invaded #Czechoslovakia to put an end to democratic reforms of the society. Freedoms have been suppressed for the next 21 years. Message from 1968 persists even today - fight for freedom, democracy and sovereignty never ends. pic.twitter.com/BP4Rdb2Gf5

— Slovakia MFA | #StandWithUkraine (@SlovakiaMFA) August 21, 2022

Government of the Czech Republic

Government of the Slovak Republic

Copyright © Vindobona. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from Vindobona and redistribute by email or post to the web.
Sponsored Content
Fast News Search
Related News
Russian Permanent Representative is Cited to the Austrian Foreign Ministry (August 20, 2022)
What Happens to Russian Refugees Coming to Austria? (August 17, 2022)
Media Freedom in Russia: OSCE Condemns Continued Persecution of Russian Journalists (August 17, 2022)
Forgotten Russian Attack on Georgia: 14 Years After the August War (August 8, 2022)
Read More
Warsaw Pact, Slovakia, USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - Soviet Union, Slovak Republic, Russo-Ukrainian War, Prague Spring, Prague, Petr Fiala, Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Austria, Embassy of the Czech Republic, Eduard Heger, Czech Republic, CSSR Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
Featured
See latest Vindobona Newsletter
Sign up now for full site access and to read a limited amount of free premium articles per month:
Sign Up
×
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content
©1995-2023 Vindobona
Contact
Help
Imprint
Press
Careers
Partners
Terms & Conditions
Site Security
Privacy
Sitemap
Advertise
About Us