The Prague Spring and the Construction of the Berlin Wall (1961-1968)

The Prague Spring: Causes of the Czechoslovakian Rebellion (1968)

The citizens of Czechoslovakia (often referred to as the Czechs) rebelled in 1968 due to several key demands:

• Freedom of Expression: People wanted to be able to discuss ideas openly.
• Political Freedom: People wanted to be able to set up political parties and vote freely.
• Worker Rights: Workers wanted more of a say in how their industries were run.
• End of Terror: They demanded an end to the rule of terror enforced by the secret police.
• Economic Improvement: They sought a better standard of living.
• Market Reforms: They wanted the ability to choose what products to make and gain profits.

The Soviet Justification for Invasion

After some reforms were made to bring greater freedom of expression, public opinion, and censorship of the press, as well as industrial autonomy, the Soviets decided that if the movement continued, it would be a threat to their sphere of influence and could spread to other Warsaw Pact countries.

Consequences of the Soviet Intervention

East-West Relations

The West protested the invasion, leading to a halt in negotiations aimed at ending the Cold War.

The Brezhnev Doctrine

The USSR announced that it would attack any sources that were hostile to socialism and attempted to turn a communist state into a capitalist one. This doctrine began to split the communist world.

Czechoslovakia

The country returned to strict communist rule, but the people continued to believe in the changes proposed by Dubček's government.

Eastern Europe

The invasion reminded the region that the USSR would not permit anything other than strict communist rule. Warsaw Pact countries became concerned that they could not act against each other and disliked the Brezhnev Doctrine.

The Berlin Crisis and the Construction of the Wall (1961)

West Berlin was a worry and an embarrassment for the Soviet Union in 1961 for several reasons:

• Refugee Crisis: Nearly 2,000 refugees a day were fleeing to the West through West Berlin—hardly proof of the Soviet claim that the Communist way of life was better than capitalism!
• Brain Drain: Many of those leaving were skilled and qualified workers, damaging the East German economy.
• Espionage Concerns: The Soviets believed that West Berlin was a center for US espionage.

Khrushchev demanded that the US leave West Berlin. Kennedy refused and instead guaranteed the freedom and security of the city. On August 13, 1961, Khrushchev closed the border between East and West Berlin and started building the wall.

Immediate Aftermath of the Wall's Construction

The construction of the Berlin Wall had severe human and political consequences:

• Families were split.
• Eighty-six people died trying to cross the wall.
• There was a great contrast between the two zones.
• Kennedy's famous speech, "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner), made Khrushchev look weak.
• The wall was a major propaganda disaster for the Soviets, as it proved that communism had to physically trap its citizens to survive.