Changes

[[File:10_Soviet_Invasion_of_Czechoslovakia_-_Flickr_-_The_Central_Intelligence_Agency.jpg|thumbnail|left|350px|Czechs carry flag past a burning tank in Prague, 1967]]__NOTOC__

Before the Second World War, the nation of Czechoslovakia had been a strong democracy in Central Europe, but beginning in the mid -1930s it faced challenges from both the West and the East. In 1938, the leadership in Great Britain and France conceded the German right to takeover take over the Sudetenland in the Munich Agreement, but the Czech government condemned this German occupation of its western-most territory as a betrayal. In 1948, Czech attempts to join the U.S.-sponsored Marshall Plan to aid postwar rebuilding was thwarted by Soviet takeover and the installation of a new communist government in Prague. For the next twenty years, Czechoslovakia remained a stable state within the Soviet sphere of influence; unlike in Hungary or Poland, even the rise of de-Stalinization after 1953 did not lead to liberalization by the fundamentally conservative Czech government.

In the 1960s1948, however, changes in Czech attempts to join the leadership in Prague led U.S.-sponsored Marshall Plan to a series of reforms to soften or humanize aid postwar rebuilding was thwarted by Soviet takeover and the application installation of a new communist doctrines within Czech bordersgovernment in Prague. The Czech economy had been slowing since For the early 1960snext twenty years, and cracks were emerging Czechoslovakia remained a stable state within the Soviet sphere of influence; unlike in Hungary or Poland, even the communist consensus as workers struggled against new challenges. The government responded with reforms designed rise of de-Stalinization after 1953 did not lead to improve liberalization by the economyfundamentally conservative Czech government.

In the 1960s, however, changes in the leadership in Prague led to a series of reforms to soften or humanize the application of communist doctrines within Czech borders. The Czech economy had been slowing since the early 1960s, and cracks were emerging in the communist consensus as workers struggled against new challenges. The government responded with reforms designed to improve the economy. ====Alexander Dubcek increased freedoms and liberalized Czechoslavkia's reforms led the Prague Spring====In early 1968, conservative leader Antonin Novotny was ousted as the head of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and he was replaced by Alexander Dubcek. The Dubcek government ended censorship in early 1968, and the acquisition of this freedom resulted in a public expression of broad-based support for reform and a public sphere in which government and party policies could be debated openly.  In April, the Czech Government issued a formal plan for further reforms, although it tried to liberalize within the existing framework of the Marxist-Leninist State and did not propose a revolutionary overhaul of the political and economic systems. As conflicts emerged between those calling for further reforms and conservatives alarmed by how far the liberalization process had gone, Dubcek struggled to maintain control.

[[File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-F0417-0001-011,_Berlin,_VII._SED-Parteitag,_Eröffnung.jpg|thumbnail|left|300px|Leonid Breznev and Władysław Gomułka, 1967]]The Warsaw Pact invasion of August 20–21 caught Czechoslovakia and much of the Western world by surprise. In anticipation of the invasion, the Soviet Union had moved troops from the Soviet Union, along with limited numbers of troops from Hungary, Poland, East Germany andBulgaria and Bulgaria into place by announcing Warsaw Pact military exercises. When these forces did invade, they swiftly took control of Prague, other major cities, and communication and transportation links. Given the escalating U.S. involvement in the conflict in Vietnam as well as past U.S. pronouncements on non-intervention in the East Bloc, the Soviets guessed correctly that the United States would condemn the invasion but refrain from intervening.