1948 – Early 1968: Leadership Shift
Who overthrew Antonín Novotný as leader of the Communist Party on January 5, 1968?
Reformist Alexander Dubček.
What period began when censorship was lifted in early 1968?
The "Prague Spring."
What happened on August 20–21, 1968?
Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia.
What major political change occurred in Czechoslovakia in 1948?
A communist takeover under Soviet pressure.
What was the goal of Dubček’s April 1968 "Action Programme"
To create "socialism with a human face."
Who replaced Dubček in April 1969?
Conservative leader Gustáv Husák.
What happened to the Czech economy in the early 1960s?
It flatlined because the conservative government refused to reform.
What warning did Czechoslovakia receive in July 1968?
The "Warsaw Letter" from five Warsaw Pact states.
What policy returned after Dubček was overthrown?
"Normalisation" (which brought back heavy censorship).