# August 21, 1968 - 38th Anniversary



## Pisis (Aug 21, 2006)

Exactly 38 years ago - In the morning hours of August 21, 1968, the Soviet army invaded Czechoslovakia along with troops from four other Warsaw Pact countries (Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, German Democratic Republic). The invasion had come on direct order from Moscow to put an end to the Prague Spring - the attempt by the Czechoslovak Communist Party, led by Alexander Dubcek, to introduce "Communism with a human face", to become more independent and loosen the tight grip of the Soviet Union.











As Soviet troops shot at the radio building, Czechoslovak radio appealed for calm. Protests in the streets of Prague and other towns and cities, left dozens of people dead and hundreds injured at the hands of the occupying troops.


























We will never forget this evil, that again sued our country to suffering, pain and sadness, from which we are recovering until today. And there is still so much to heal...






BBC ON THIS DAY | 21 | 1968: Russia brings winter to 'Prague Spring'


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 21, 2006)

I remember this - it was the first visible crack in the iron curtain, too bad it took another 20 years plus to fall...


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## Pisis (Aug 21, 2006)

And the society is still so damaged. Of course not only by this, also the Munich Agreement (1938 ), WW2 and the Communist Putsch (1948 )...


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## syscom3 (Aug 21, 2006)

Wasnt there some serious concerns in Moscow about the political reliability of the Polish troops?


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## Pisis (Aug 21, 2006)

What exactly do you have in mind?


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## syscom3 (Aug 21, 2006)

The Russians were worried that the Polish troops would refuse to invade Czeck.

Therefore, they were not told a thing about where they were going other than it was a for a field maneuver.

Or so I was told.


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## Pisis (Aug 21, 2006)

> Polish troops would refuse to invade Poland.


You mean Czechoslovakia.



> Therefore, they were not told a thing about where they were going other than it was a for a field maneuver.


No one of the soldier knew that. They were just young boys and knew nothing about where are they. They also started to shoot at the National Museum building, because they thought it is the Czechoslovak Parliament.


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## Nonskimmer (Aug 21, 2006)

To the fallen Czechs and Slovaks.


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## Maestro (Aug 22, 2006)

As NS said :


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## Pisis (Aug 22, 2006)

Thanks.


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## FLYBOYJ (Aug 22, 2006)

Yep!


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## Gnomey (Aug 22, 2006)

Agreed


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