(1968) Czechs defy Soviets and begin Prague SpringAlexander Dubček is elected in Czechoslovakia and begins reforms to Communist Party restrictions in place since the 1940s. Seven months later, Soviet tanks will arrive to halt the revolution.The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and continued until 21 August 1968 when the Soviet Union and other members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country to halt the reforms.
Start date: Jan 05, 1968 End date: Aug 21, 1968
During the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovaks carry their national flag past a burning tank in Prague. Photo from “CIA Analysis of the Warsaw Pact Forces: The Importance of Clandestine Reporting” wiki/Prague_Spring4.8.d17