Posted on 08/13/2018 9:55:21 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
In August 1968 Soviet tanks rolled into communist Czechoslovakia to crush a burgeoning democratic reform movement known as the Prague Spring.
Here is a recap of the shock intervention that reined in the Soviet satellite state, its aspirations for democracy warded off for another 20 years.
"At 11:00 pm, Soviet, Polish, East German, Bulgarian and Hungarian troops crossed the Czechoslovak border," AFP reported early on August 21, picking up Radio Prague's announcement of the overnight invasion.
Tensions had been mounting between then Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and the reformist government that had taken over in the Central European state.
In January, Moscow's pointman was replaced by Alexander Dubcek, who became head of the powerful Communist Party. General Ludvik Svoboda became president in March.
Driven by Dubcek, reforms aimed at achieving "Socialism with a human face" were introduced. They included the abolition of censorship, freedom of assembly and association, and cautious economic reforms.
Moscow responded with warnings and an ultimatum.
At 4:59 am Radio Prague announced that the capital and the rest of the country had been occupied.
Moscow and its communist allies poured 200,000 soldiers into Czechoslovakia that day, their numbers rising to 600,000.
The government urged citizens to "remain calm and not to take up arms against the foreign troops."
Many learnt of the invasion of their country only via their radios.
In Prague, the Soviet troops were concentrated around three nerve centres: the headquarters of the Communist Party's Central Committee, Prague Castle and the radio headquarters.
From dawn, hundreds of Prague citizens gathered in front of the radio building which was surrounded by tanks. Soldiers fired bursts of machine-gun fire at the building and nearby houses with people shouting insults at them like "Gestapo", or "Long live Dubcek."
(Excerpt) Read more at economictimes.indiatimes.com ...
Moscow has problems keeping people in, we have problems keeping people out. Other socialist states have the same issues as Russia, yet the media and Dems think we need socialism.
Important post considering how many in the USA are embracing marxism...
BTW, go to Prague’s Museum of Communism to get an idea of how much communism is despised by it’s survivors.
1968 was a tumultuous year.
Tet
Prague uprising
MLK killed
RFK killed
Democrat Convention in Chicago
Riots
NK captured the USS Pueblo
Yup August 1968. I had my orders for MACV cancelled before departure for reassignment to CONUS; presumably for a European assignment. Never left Newark, NJ.
The Red Menace was operating with the knowledge the presidency was in limbo given LBJ had decided to not run and the nation was in the midst of political turmoil.
I’m glad you missed Nam.
I should have added LBJ bowing out.
It was really a crazy year.
And the mass murder of Vietnam civilians by American troops in 1968.
???????
The Mai Lai massacre was terrible. But it was nothing compared to the VC and NVA atrocities. The MSM was terrible in their coverage of those things.
You’re right.
Mai Lai.
And Paris riots in 1968
Right. Good reminder.
Good time to be a kid.
68 — JAROMIR JAGR The five-time scoring champion chose his number to commemorate the Soviet invasion of his native Czechoslovakia in 1968. He became the fourth player in NHL history to reach the 1,800 point mark with a pair of assists on April 9, 2015.
Communism democide body count table gif:
https://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.TAB1.GIF
Gubbernur Dimwittie, I was there and loved it.
Spent 2.5 years in the Army {got extended 6 months by President Kennedy in Germany during the Berlin Blockade bullshit with the communists} and missed {gratefully} Vietnam.
The 60s and 70s where eras of free love {women trying to prove that they were born as horny as men}, drugs, rock and roll, bravery in Vietnam, protests, great opportunity, druggies, crazies, Black Panthers, conspiracies, political frame ups {watergate, where hildabutchbutch was fired for perjury}, and I remember a great time.
My whole life, including the time I spent in prison, was a blessing from God, and I deserved going to the slammer.
If you see negative stuff, life sucks, if you see positive opportunity, life is GREAT.
The only thing you bring to any situation is your ATTITUDE.
If you think it's sucks, it does.
Try prayer, God might lighten your load.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
