21 August 1968 - spring turns into a harsh winter

Conscripts serving in the Austrian Armed Forces in the summer of 1968 were afraid of war. One of them was the author's husband, who, in August 1968, was stationed in the Waldviertel, Austria's northernmost region on the border to then Czechoslovakia. Their fear was not unfounded: On 21 August 1968, Warsaw Pact troops invaded Prague. The invasion marked the end of a period that would later become known as the Prague Spring. What were the events that preceded this military intervention?

Dreaming about reforms - "socialism with a human face"

On 5 January 1968, Alexander Dubcek, who up to this date had been a relatively unknown official of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSC) and would later become the symbolic figure of the Prague Spring, replaced Antonín Novotný as the party's First Secretary. Dubcek dreamed of "socialism with a human face", and his election heralded the beginning of the Prague Spring. In April 1968, the KSC launched an action programme aiming to abolish all dictatorial restrictions and to clear the path for democracy. Unsurprisingly, these ideas were not met with approval by the Soviet Union. On 8 May 1968, high-ranking officials of Eastern Bloc communist parties met in Moscow to discuss the developments in Czechoslovakia.

15 June 1968 marked the beginning of big military manoeuvres held by Warsaw Pact countries in Poland and Czechoslovakia, which were scheduled to last until 30 June. Meanwhile, the Czechoslovak parliament lifted press censorship, and "The Two Thousand Words", a manifesto which expressly argued for democratisation, was published. Czechoslovakia refused the invitation to a top-level conference held by a number of Eastern Bloc countries on 9 July. When the military manoeuvres in Czechoslovakia ended, the Soviet Union did not withdraw all of its troops and instead demanded that Prague agree to the deployment of Soviet troops to the West German border.

At a meeting of the leaders of the communist parties in Bratislava, Prague's own approach to socialism was officially accepted. On 9 August 1968, Yugoslav president Tito paid a visit to Prague and was demonstratively celebrated. Shortly after, on 15 August, Romania's president Ceaucescu arrived in Prague and signed a friendship pact, putting a special emphasis on non-interference. However, the looming crisis could not be averted.

21 August 1968 - the beginning of the end of democratic reforms

On 21 August 1968, Soviet-led Warsaw Pact troops invaded Prague. In the following days, the political leaders in Prague were brought to Moscow for "negotiations". Upon their return, the parliament in Prague declared the occupation of the country illegal and expressed its support of the present leadership.

On 11 September 1968, the Soviet troops started leaving Prague for the countryside. At the beginning of October, the Czechoslovak leadership went to Moscow to negotiate "normalisation". As an outcome, the political leaders remained in office and submitted to the Soviet demands. An agreement about the presence of Soviet troops in Czechoslovakia was signed: The better part of the troops was withdrawn, and the remaining occupation legalised. On 22 December, workers and students demanded the immediate withdrawal of all Soviet troops.

On 16 January 1969, Czech student Jan Palach publicly set himself on fire in Prague to protest against the suppression of the Prague Spring. At the end of January, Presidents Tito and Ceausescu rejected the Brezhnev Doctrine, which stated that the interests of international communism take priority over national interests.

When the Czechoslovak ice-hockey team defeated the Soviets in the World Championships on 28 March 1969, anti-Soviet demonstrations erupted in Prague. On 2 April, censorship of the press was reinstated. In early April 1969, Alexander Dubcek fought for his political position – and lost. He was replaced by Gustav Husak as head of the KSC on 17 April.

After originally condemning the Soviet invasion, the Communist Party of Austria eventually aligned itself with the Moscow position in May 1969. Ernst Fischer, member of the central committee, who denounced the Soviet course of action in 1968 as "tank communism", was expelled from the party. On the anniversary of the invasion, around 50,000 people defied the ban on demonstrations in Prague and gathered in Wenceslas Square. A few isolated incidents gave rise to a tightening of restrictions and police control. Under Soviet pressure, the Czechoslovak government stepped down on 27 September, and all reformers were removed from leading positions. Spring comes to an end.

Refugees seek a new life - here in Vienna as well

The events of the year 1968 caused a wave of emigration. Many Czechoslovaks fled to Austria to await the outcome of the events in their country from a distance. For some, Austria was a stopover on their way to other countries; others came to stay and start a new life in Austria, Germany or Switzerland. In Vienna, the Red Cross provided food and shelter in camps such as in the Arsenal warehouse for those who did not have any friends or relatives in the city.

Here, 800 regular and 2000 makeshift beds were provided. During this turbulent time, the number of Czechoslovak refugees accommodated in Vienna's shelters and camps peaked at 6,700 in one day. Other emergency shelters were set up in the Stadthalle event hall and on the premises of the 1964 Vienna International Garden Show in today's Donaupark. Refugee aid provided free food, and many citizens accommodated refugees in their own homes. During the summer of 1968, Vienna proved to be a haven of humanity, and many of our former neighbours found a new home in Vienna.