Cold War Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Invasion of Czechoslovakia=== {{Main|Prague Spring|Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia}} [[File:10 Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia - Flickr - The Central Intelligence Agency.jpg|thumb|The [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia|invasion of Czechoslovakia]] by the Soviet Union in 1968 was one of the biggest military operations on European soil since [[World War II]].]] In 1968, a period of political liberalization took place in [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czechoslovakia]] called the [[Prague Spring]]. An "[[Socialism with a human face|Action Program]]" of reforms included increasing [[freedom of the press]], [[freedom of speech]] and [[freedom of movement]], along with an economic emphasis on [[Final good|consumer goods]], the possibility of a multiparty government, limitations on the power of the secret police,{{efn-ua|Ello (ed.), Paul (April 1968). Control Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, "Action Plan of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (Prague, April 1968)" in ''Dubcek's Blueprint for Freedom: His original documents leading to the invasion of Czechoslovakia.'' William Kimber & Co. 1968, pp. 32, 54}}{{sfn|Von Geldern|Siegelbaum}} and potential withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact.{{sfn|Gaddis|2005|p=150}} In answer to the Prague Spring, on 20 August 1968, the [[Soviet Army]], together with most of their Warsaw Pact allies, [[Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia|invaded Czechoslovakia]].{{sfn|BBC|2008}} The invasion was followed by a wave of emigration, including an estimated 70,000 Czechs and Slovaks initially fleeing, with the total eventually reaching 300,000.{{sfn|ΔulΓk|1998}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia |url=http://www.enrs.eu/en/news/1255-invasion-of-czechoslovakia |access-date=5 November 2022 |date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731024148/http://www.enrs.eu/en/news/1255-invasion-of-czechoslovakia |archive-date=31 July 2017 }}</ref> The invasion sparked intense protests from Yugoslavia, Romania, China, and from Western European countries.{{sfn|Gaddis|2005|p=154}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page