Alexander Dubcek?

[Karabin]

In the last couple of days I have taken a bit of an interest in Czechoslovakia, and I've done some basic reading on Alexander Dubcek and I find him to be rather interesting. What are your views regarding him?

[NorgeKommunistAntiIsrael]

In the last couple of days I have taken a bit of an interest in Czechoslovakia, and I've done some basic reading on Alexander Dubcek and I find him to be rather interesting. What are your views regarding him?

My view? That the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries where a bit harsh. And when it comes to the WESTERN point of view, I refuse that he "made democracy in Czechoslovakia" and that that was the reason why the USSR and the Warsaw Pact were concerned. It was economic reforms, not democratic ones.

But he wasn't anti-Communist in my opinion because he himself claimed to be a communist, and he promised that he would not allow opposition parties or go out from the Warsaw Pact. The USSR was too harsh with Dubcek. I wonder why they didn't got Ceausescu ousted, because he did much anti-Soviet politics.

Dubcek most likely just wanted to get it better for his people, but that the USSR was very concerned when it came to economic reforms.

When it comes to his death, I believe the official story: that it WAS an accident.

[Sam_b]

[/URL]]And when it comes to the WESTERN point of view, I refuse that he "made democracy in Czechoslovakia" and that that was the reason why the USSR and the Warsaw Pact were concerned. It was economic reforms, not democratic ones.

You can 'refuse' all you like, but that does not make it an accurate statement. What cannot be denied is that the system opened itself up to liberalising reforms, the key of which was an increasing in press freedoms and a relaxation of the Censorship office, which would eventually be closed before opening up again under the normalisation process. Even though there were calls for a liberalisation of the markets, this does not mean that it was the only significant changes were to do with the economy.


But he wasn't anti-Communist in my opinion because he himself claimed to be a communist, and he promised that he would not allow opposition parties or go out from the Warsaw Pact.

Refusing to lift a ban on opposition parties and refusing to withdraw from the Pact is not the definition of 'Communist' and never has been. Actually, Dubček's Action Programme was relatively open to the idea of a multi-party system at some future point; there was a ten-year plan intended to pave the way for open elections.


but that the USSR was very concerned when it came to economic reforms

The Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia at the behest of Antonín Novotný was the result of a power struggle within the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and intended to reverse all reforms, not just the economic ones. Kádár's leadership in Hungary introduced many economic reforms similar to ones outlined by Dubček with minimal Soviet opposition.