13.2 Soviet intervention and the Warsaw Pact invasion

The Soviet-led Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 crushed the Prague Spring reforms. Operation Danube deployed 250,000 troops and 2,000 tanks, swiftly seizing control of key locations while facing non-violent civilian resistance.

The invasion solidified Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe through the Brezhnev Doctrine. It led to "normalization" in Czechoslovakia, reversing reforms and suppressing dissent. The event deepened Cold War divisions and inspired future resistance movements across the Eastern Bloc.

Warsaw Pact Invasion

Operation Danube and Initial Invasion

Top images from around the web for Operation Danube and Initial Invasion

• 

  Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Warsaw Pact - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Remembering the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia · Global Voices View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Warsaw Pact - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Operation Danube and Initial Invasion

• 

  Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Warsaw Pact - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Remembering the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia · Global Voices View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Warsaw Pact - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Operation Danube represented the codename for the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
• Warsaw Pact forces launched a coordinated military intervention on August 20, 1968
• Approximately 250,000 troops and 2,000 tanks entered Czechoslovakia in a surprise nighttime attack
• Soviet tanks rolled into Prague, shocking citizens and crushing hopes for reform
• Invasion aimed to suppress the Prague Spring reforms and reassert Soviet control

Military Tactics and Resistance

• Warsaw Pact forces quickly seized control of key strategic locations (airports, radio stations, government buildings)
• Czechoslovak military received orders not to resist, minimizing armed conflict
• Civilian population engaged in non-violent resistance through protests and civil disobedience
• Protesters attempted to impede Soviet tanks by forming human barricades
• Czech and Slovak citizens removed street signs and house numbers to confuse invading forces

International Response

• Western powers condemned the invasion but took no military action
• United Nations Security Council met to discuss the crisis but Soviet veto prevented any resolution
• Romania and Albania, both Warsaw Pact members, refused to participate in the invasion
• Yugoslavia strongly criticized the Soviet action, fearing potential intervention in their own country
• Invasion strained relations between Western communist parties and Moscow

Key Figures

Soviet Leadership and Decision-Making

• Leonid Brezhnev served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
• Brezhnev played a central role in ordering the invasion of Czechoslovakia
• Developed the Brezhnev Doctrine, justifying Soviet intervention in socialist countries
• Doctrine asserted the USSR's right to intervene when socialism was threatened in any Warsaw Pact country
• Brezhnev's actions solidified Soviet dominance over Eastern Europe for the next two decades

Czechoslovak Resistance and Symbolism

• Jan Palach, a Czech student, became a powerful symbol of resistance against Soviet occupation
• Palach self-immolated in Prague's Wenceslas Square on January 16, 1969, to protest the invasion
• His act of self-sacrifice inspired further protests and galvanized opposition to Soviet control
• Palach's funeral turned into a mass demonstration against the occupation
• His legacy continues to be commemorated in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Post-Invasion Leadership

• Gustáv Husák emerged as a key figure in the post-invasion Czechoslovak government
• Initially supported reforms but later aligned with Soviet interests after the invasion
• Appointed as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in April 1969
• Husák implemented "normalization" policies to reverse Prague Spring reforms
• His leadership marked a return to hardline communist rule and Soviet-style governance

Aftermath

Normalization Process

• Normalization involved reversing Prague Spring reforms and restoring Soviet-style communism
• Process began immediately after the invasion and continued throughout the 1970s
• Included purges of reform-minded officials from government and party positions
• Reinstatement of censorship and restrictions on freedom of speech and press
• Dissolution of independent organizations and suppression of civil society

Economic and Social Impact

• Czechoslovak economy stagnated due to the reimposition of centralized planning
• Brain drain occurred as many skilled professionals and intellectuals emigrated
• Consumer goods shortages and reduced quality of life compared to pre-invasion period
• Increased emphasis on heavy industry at the expense of consumer goods production
• Growth of underground cultural movements and samizdat (self-published) literature

Long-Term Consequences

• Invasion crushed hopes for "socialism with a human face" in Czechoslovakia
• Soviet military presence in Czechoslovakia continued until 1991
• Event deepened the divide between Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War
• Invasion inspired dissident movements in other Eastern Bloc countries
• Legacy of 1968 played a significant role in the Velvet Revolution of 1989