Socialism with a human face
Socialism with a human face (
The first author of this slogan was
Socialism with a human face was vital in initiating the Prague Spring, a period of national democratization and economic decentralization. It was, however, rolled back by the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968.
Background
The programme was an attempt to overcome the disillusionment of the people of
Dubček Speech
At the 20th
One of the most important steps towards the reform was the reduction and later abolition of the censorship on 4 March 1968. It was for the first time in Czech history the censorship was abolished and it was also probably the only reform fully implemented, although only for a short period. Changing from an instrument of party propaganda, media quickly became the instrument of criticism of the regime.[4][5]
Action Programme
In April, Dubček launched an "Action Programme" of liberalizations, which included increasing
Those who drafted the Action Programme were careful not to criticize the actions of the post-war Communist regime, only to point out policies that they felt had outlived their usefulness.
The programme of "socialism with a human face"
Although it was stipulated that reform must proceed under KSČ direction, popular pressure mounted to implement reforms immediately.
Dubček's reforms guaranteed freedom of the press, and political commentary was allowed for the first time in mainstream media.[16] At the time of the Prague Spring, Czechoslovak exports were declining in competitiveness, and Dubček's reforms planned to solve these troubles by mixing planned and market economies. Within the party, there were varying opinions on how this should proceed; certain economists wished for a more mixed economy while others wanted the economy to remain mostly planned. Dubček continued to stress the importance of economic reform proceeding under Communist Party rule.[17]
On 27 June Ludvík Vaculík, a leading author and journalist, published a manifesto titled The Two Thousand Words. It expressed concern about conservative elements within the KSČ and so-called "foreign" forces. Vaculík called on the people to take the initiative in implementing the reform programme.[18] Dubček, the party Presidium, the National Front, and the cabinet denounced this manifesto.[19]
Publications and media
Dubček's relaxation of censorship ushered in a brief period of freedom of speech and the press.[20] The first tangible manifestation of this new policy of openness was the production of the previously hard-line communist weekly Literární noviny, renamed Literární listy.[21][22]
Freedom of the press also opened the door for the first honest look at Czechoslovakia's past by Czechoslovakia's people. Many of the investigations centered on the country's history under communism, especially in the instance of the
The press, the radio, and the television also contributed to these discussions by hosting meetings where students and young workers could ask questions of writers such as Goldstücker, Pavel Kohout, and Jan Prochazka and political victims such as Josef Smrkovský, Zdenek Hejzlar, and Gustáv Husák.[26] Television also broadcast meetings between former political prisoners and the communist leaders from the secret police or prisons where they were held.[22] Most importantly, this new freedom of the press and the introduction of television into the lives of everyday Czechoslovak citizens moved the political dialogue from the intellectual to the popular sphere.
During Gorbachev's visit to Prague in 1987, his spokesman Gennady Gerasimov was asked what was the difference between the Prague Spring and perestroika, and he replied: "Nineteen years." [27]
References
- ^ "The Prague Spring, 1968". Library of Congress. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
- ^ JSTOR 1555723.
- ^ Vondrová, Jitka (25 June 2008). "Pražské Jaro 1968". Akademický bulletin (in Czech). Akademie věd ČR. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ Hoppe, Jiří (6 August 2008). "Co je Pražské jaro 1968?". iForum (in Czech). Charles University. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ Ello (1968), pp. 32, 54
- ^ Von Geldern, James; Siegelbaum, Lewis. "The Soviet-led Intervention in Czechoslovakia". Soviethistory.org. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
- ^ Hochman, Dubček (1993)
- ^ Navratil, Jaromir. "Excerpts from the CPCz CC Action Program, April 1968". Oracle ThinkQuest. Translated by Kramer, Mark; Moss, Joy; Tosek, Ruth. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
- ^ a b Judt (2005), p. 441
- ^ a b c d e f g Ello (1968), pp. 7–9, 129–31
- ^ Derasadurain, Beatrice. "Prague Spring". thinkquest.org. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
- ^ Kusin (2002), pp. 107–22
- ^ "The Prague Spring, 1968". Library of Congress. 1985. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
- ^ Williams (1997), p. 156
- ^ Williams (1997), p. 164
- ^ Williams (1997), pp. 18–22
- ^ Vaculík, Ludvík (27 June 1968). "Two Thousand Words". Literární listy.
- ^ Mastalir, Linda (25 July 2006). "Ludvík Vaculík: a Czechoslovak man of letters". Radio Prague. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
- ^ Williams, Tieren. The Prague Spring and Its Aftermath: Czechoslovak Politics, 1968–1970. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1997, p. 67.
- ^ a b Williams, p. 68
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8014-4767-9.
- ^ Golan, Galia. Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies. Reform Rule in Czechoslovakia: The Dubček Era, 1968–1969. Vol. 11. Cambridge, UK: CUP Archive, 1973, p. 10
- ^ Holy, p. 119
- ^ Golan, p. 112
- ^ Williams, p. 69
- ^ Jacques Levesque, The Enigma of 1989: The USSR and the Liberation of Eastern Europe (Berkeley-London: Berkeley, University of California Press, 1997), p. 62.
Bibliography
- Williams, Kieran (1997). The Prague Spring and its Aftermath: Czechoslovak Politics, 1968–1970. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-58803-4.
External links
- English translation (full text) of the Action programme. Akční program KSČ (in Czech) (full text).