Glencoe World History

"The Prague Spring"

Introduction
In 1968 Czechoslovakia began a brief period of loosening Communist control. However, the Prague Spring ended swiftly with the Soviet invasion of August 1968. In this activity you will learn about the developments leading up to the invasion by reading the transcript of an important telephone conversation that took place one week before the invasion.

Destination Title: The Prague Spring '68

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Directions

Start at the Prague Spring '68 Web site.

• Read the document, taking notes as you read.

1			What is the major development in Czechoslovakia that Brezhnev wants to discuss with Dubcek?
2			What is Brezhnev's main accusation against Dubcek?
3			What took place at Cierna nad Tisou and Bratislava?
4			What exactly did Dubcek promise to do at Cierna nad Tisou, according to Brezhnev?
5			The first footnote to the transcript explains that historians are split on whether Dubcek, in this conversation, was giving the Soviet leadership a "green light" to invade Czechoslovakia. On a separate piece of paper, cite some statements by Brezhnev that suggest that the Soviet Union might take action on its own to resolve the situation in Czechoslovakia. Then give examples of statements by Dubcek that might be interpreted as giving the Soviet leadership a "green light." Finally, explain whether you think Dubcek's motive was to tell the Soviet leaders to invade or to deceive them, or whether you think it is not possible, using the transcript, to determine Dubcek's motives.