What is Prague Spring?
[[File:Praga_11.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Protestors encircle two Soviet tanks, during the first days of the invasion in Czechoslovakia]] The liberalisation and democratisation efforts of [[Alexander Dubček|Alexander Dubchek]] and [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovakia's Communist Party]], known as '''Prague Spring''', took place in 1968. As the Soviet Union thought that [[Czechoslovakia]] was moving away of [[communism]], an alliance of [[Warsaw Pact]] countries ([[Soviet Union]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Poland]], and [[Hungary]]) invaded Czechoslovakia on August 20–21, 1968. Immediately after the invasion, a series of protests took place in Czechoslovakia. Prague Spring symbolizes the experiment of establishing of a [[socialism with a human face]], in post-war [[Eastern Bloc]] and its violent suppression from Warsaw Pact countries in August 21, 1968. The event is included in a greater series of Cold War-related unrests. Some examples are [[May 1968]] in France, the student protests against [[Vietnam War]] and the [[Greek military junta of 1967-1974|military junta in Greece (1967-1974)]]. After the invasion, the most reforms who took place during Prague Spring were reversed or halted. This period after Prague Spring is known as normalization. The only exception was the federalisation of Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia became officially a federal country on January 1, 1969. This invasion, was the result of several other factors such as poor living standards, economic hardships, etc. Dubček introduced several political and apolitical reforms to the country including freedom of speech, reduced censorship, legalisation of opposition political parties, and economic liberalisation. The reforms were seen as a direct challenge to Soviet control. Despite Dubček's commitment to remaining within the Soviet sphere, the [[Leader of the Soviet Union|Soviet leadership]] viewed these changes as a threat. On August 20, 1968, Soviet forces invaded Czechoslovakia, brutally crushing the movement and reinstating strict communist con