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The Prague Spring, a political and social reform movement in 1968 Czechoslovakia, was led by Alexander Dubček, who became First Secretary of the Communist Party with promises of "socialism with a human face." Dubček aimed to introduce significant liberalizations—press freedom, economic reforms, and federalization to allow for more self-governance among the Czech and Slovak republics. In April 1968, he launched the "Action Programme," which encouraged open discussion, diminished the secret police’s influence, and promoted consumer goods, with a long-term vision for eventual democratic elections.
This attempt to create a more open socialist state faced mounting concern from the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc leaders, who feared the reforms would destabilize the Warsaw Pact. Though Dubček tried to assure the Soviets of Czechoslovakia's loyalty to socialism, the situation escalated. On the night of August 20-21, 1968, Warsaw Pact forces invaded Czechoslovakia with over 200,000 troops and thousands of tanks, effectively ending the Prague Spring. Although met with mostly nonviolent resistance, the invasion led to numerous casualties and the arrest of Dubček and his allies.
In the wake of the invasion, Dubček was removed from power, and a period of "normalization" began under Gustáv Husák, who rolled back nearly all reforms, reestablishing strict censorship and Communist Party control. The invasion left lasting effects, stoking disillusionment with Soviet-style communism across Eastern Europe and inspiring later movements for reform.