The Influence of the Czechoslovak Events in 1968 on the Public Opinions in Central and South-Eastern Europe Countries

Abstract

The article analyzes reform processes of 1968 in Czechoslovakia, which became known as the Prague Spring. Attention is focused on the influence of the ideals and ideas of the Prague Spring on the public opinion in the German Democratic Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia. The author is not absorbed in the complexity of the development of the internal political situation and the peripetia of the dialogue between the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and other “fraternal” parties under the Warsaw Pact, stopping only on a general overview of the social reaction of Central and South-Eastern Europe. It was shown that the leadership of the countries of a socialist commonwealth did not basically share the aspirations of the Czechoslovak people for democratic change, “making socialism a human face”, there by trying to prevent them from spreading in their countries. The conclusions state that attempts to democratize in Czechoslovakia often had a double effect on neighboring countries, showing the difference in the position of society from the official doctrine of state structures. Recognizing the interconnection of events in the countries of the Eastern bloc, the international community hoped that the success of the Czechoslovak reforms would change the existing restrictive policies and lead to positive democratic changes in their countries. With the introduction of the troops of the socialist community in Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968, a democratic demonstration was stopped by force. The international community condemned the invasion. Although the Prague Spring was suppressed by the troops of the USSR, the GDR, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, it became a symbol of attempts at democratic change. The ideals of the Prague Spring, namely the possibility of uniting socialism with democracy and civil rights, deeply rooted in the consciousness of the active public in Central and South-Eastern Europe states.   Virutska, S. (2018). The Influence of the Czechoslovak Events in 1968 on the Public Opinions in Central and South-Eastern Europe Countries. Mìžnarodnì zv’âzki Ukraïni: naukovì pošuki ì znahìdki – The International relations of Ukraine: scientific searches and findings, 27, 70-83 [in Ukrainian].