Word: dubcek
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...Communist parties across Europe. It was this opposition, the prospect of profoundly splitting the already splintered Communist world, that was a big factor in the outcome of the Russian-Czechoslovak confrontation. In a memorable turn of events, Russia last week backed down on nearly all its demands of Alexander Dubcek's reformist regime in Czechoslovakia (see following story...
...broader Soviet demands for an end to the liberalization, a clash seemed inevitable. The Kremlin has given Dubček a list of ten party progressives whom it would like to see purged. It also wants ironclad guarantees that Dubcek will restore control over so-called "antisocialist" forces, prohibiting them from making any more speeches, giving interviews, writing articles and putting together petitions that are critical of the party. At the very least, says Harvard Kremlinologist Adam Ulam, the Russians seek "some sort of declaration from the Czechoslovak leaders that they won't let the thing...
Brezhnev and the other party bosses had summoned Czechoslovak Party Leader Alexander Dubček to Warsaw to explain his policies, but Dubcek politely declined. Instead, he offered to meet separately in Prague with each one of the Communist leaders. Dubcek feared going to any meeting where the other leaders might join in browbeating him, was especially wary of being lured out of the country at a time when his reformist regime seemed in peril. After Dubček's refusal, the other bosses obviously decided that they had reason enough to meet by themselves...
...Phone. Evidently the Russians had hoped to give the hard-liners a boost by the presence of their tanks and troops, variously numbered between 3,000 and 10,000 men. Dubcek had invited the Warsaw Pact forces to the country for "staff exercises" as proof of his loyalty to the Communist bloc; they were supposed to withdraw by the end of June, but did not. Throughout the week, Dubček was reportedly on the phone to Moscow to find out why. One report had Brezhnev bluntly telling him that the Soviet troops were needed to prevent the overthrow...
Critical Test. Dubcek himself was busy trying to counter a growing mobilization of the conservative, hard-lining Communist bureaucrats still scattered in key positions throughout the government and economy. His first really critical test looms at the end of this month, when he intends to summon a Central Committee plenary session and try to force the resignations of some of the old guard among its 110 members. The conservatives, in turn, hope to have rallied enough support by then to turn Dubcek out of office and replace him with Alois Indra, 47, a onetime railway worker who sees things Moscow...