Glencoe World History © 2010

The Prague Spring

Introduction
In 1968 Czechoslovakia began a brief period of loosening Communist control. However, the Prague Spring, as this period is known, ended swiftly with the Soviet invasion in 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: CNN Cold War: Brezhnev - Dubček Phone Call

Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window.
Need help using your browser for this activity? Click here for tips.

• Click on the Web site.
• Read the information on the Web site and take notes.

Use the information you found to answer the following questions.

1			What is the major development in Czechoslovakia that Brezhnev wants to discuss with Dubček?
2			What is Brezhnev's main accusation against Dubček?
3			What took place at Cierna, Tisou, and Bratislava?
4			What exactly did Dubček promise to do at Cierna and Tisou, according to Brezhnev?
5			Historians are split on whether Dubček, in this conversation, was giving the Soviet leadership a "green light" to invade Czechoslovakia. Cite some statements by Brezhnev that suggest the Soviet Union might take action on its own to resolve the situation in Czechoslovakia. Then give examples of statements by Dubček that might be interpreted as giving the Soviet leadership a "green light." Finally, explain whether you think Dubček’s motive was to tell the Soviet leaders to invade or to deceive them.