The Prague Spring 1968: A National Security Archive Documents Reader

Table of contents

• The Prague Spring 1968 i
• Title Page iii
• Contents v
• Preface1 xv
• Foreword xvii
• Acknowledgements xxiii
• Acronyms and Abbreviations xxv
• Chronology of Events Czechoslovakia 1967–1969 xxvii
• Part One - 'A Sun Suddenly Risen' a Prelude to the Prague Spring of 1968 1
• Document No. 1: Proceedings of the 4th Czechoslovak Writers' Congress, June 27–29,1967, and a Follow-Up Resolution by the Cpcz Cc Plenum, September 1967 (Excerpts) 8
• Document No. 2: Speeches by Alexander Dubček and Antonín Novotný at the Cpcz Cc Plenum, October 30–31,1967 13
• Document No. 3: Remarks by Leonid Brezhnev at a Meeting of Top Cpcz Officials, in Prague, December 9,1967 (Excerpts) 18
• Document No. 4: János Kádár's Report to the Hswp Politburo of a Telephone Conversation with Leonid Brezhnev, December 13,1967 20
• Document No. 5: Andrei Aleksandrov-Agentov's Memoir of the Pre-Crisis Period (Excerpt) 23
• Part Two - From January to Dresden 27
• Document No. 6: Resolution of the Cpcz Cc Plenum, January 5, 1968, Electing Alexander Dubcek as First Secretary 34
• Document No. 7: János Kádár's Report to the Hswp Politburo on His Meetings with Alexander Dubcek, January 20,1968 (Excerpts) 37
• Document No. 8: Report Submitted to the Cpcz Cc Presidium on Alexander Duček's Visit to Moscow, January 29–30,1968 (Excerpts) 42
• Document No. 9: [What Lies Ahead,] by Josef Smrkovský, February 9,1968 45
• Document No. 10: Alexander Dubček's Speech Marking the 20th Anniversary of Czechoslovakia's [February Revolution,] February 22,1968 (Excerpts) 51
• Document No. 11: Report by Czechoslovak Television Reporter on Soviet Reactions to the Events in the Čssr, February 28,1968 55
• Document No. 12: Observations by Czechoslovak Escort-Guides on the Views of Foreign Delegations Attending the Celebrations of the 'February Revolution,] February 1968 58
• Document No. 13: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubcek Inviting a Čssr Delegation to the USSR, March 16,1968 63
• Document No. 14: Stenographic Account of the Dresden Meeting, March 23,1968 (Excerpts) 64
• Document No. 15: Alexander Dubček's Presidium Report on the Dresden Meeting, March 25,1968 73
• Document No. 16: Open Letter from 134 Czechoslovak Writers and Cultural Figures to the Cpcz Central Committee, March 25,1968 76
• Document No. 17: Soviet Reactions to Events in Czechoslovakia and the Dresden Meeting, as Assessed by the Italian Embassy in Moscow, April 1968 78
• Document No. 18: Dispatch from Budapest Outlining Hungarian Concerns about Events in Czechoslovakia after the Dresden Meeting, April 6,1968 81
• Part Three - Revision, Reform, Revolution? 83
• Document No. 19: The Cpcz Cc Action Program, April 1968 (Excerpts) 92
• Document No. 20: Cable from Andrei Gromłko for Todor Zhivkov, János Kádár, Walter Ulbricht, and Wladyslaw Gomułka regarding the Internal Security Situation in Czechoslovakia, April 1968 96
• Document No. 21: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček Expressing Concern about Events in Czechoslovakia, April 11,1968 98
• Document No. 22: Cable from Czechoslovak Ambassador Oldřich Pavlovský on a Conversation with Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Il'Ichev, April 17,1968 (Excerpts) 101
• Document No. 23: Memoir of Andrei Aleksandrov-Agentov on Internal Soviet Deliberations about Czechoslovakia (Excerpts) 102
• Document No. 24: Cable to Moscow from Soviet Ambassador to Warsaw Averki Aristov regarding Władyslaw Gomułka's Views on the Situation in Czechoslovakia, April 16,1968 103
• Document No. 25: [Proposal for a Number of Major Political Measures to Facilitate the Process of Mutual Understanding in Relations with the USSR,] by Czechoslovak Foreign Minister Jiří Hájek, April 17,1968 (Excerpts) 105
• Document No. 26: Report on Secret Discussions between the Cpcz Cc International Department and Egon Bahr of the West German Social Democratic Party, April 17–19,1968 (Excerpts) 108
• Document No. 27: Report by Čssr National Defense Minister Martin Dzúr on a Meeting with Marshal Yakubovskii, Commander-In-Chief of the Warsaw Pact Joint Armed Forces, April 24–25,1968 112
• Document No. 28: Stenographic Account of the Soviet-Czechoslovak Summit Meeting in Moscow, May 4–5,1968 (Excerpts) 114
• Document No. 29: Report on the Visit of Luigi Longo, Italian Cp General Secretary, to Czechoslovakia, May 5–7,1968 (Excerpts) 126
• Document No. 30: Minutes of the Cpcz Cc Presidium Meeting, May 7–8,1968 (Excerpts) 129
• Document No. 31: Minutes of the Secret Meeting of the [Five] in Moscow, May 8,1968 (Excerpts) 132
• Document No. 32: Cable from the Czechoslovak Ambassador to Yugoslavia, May 9,1968, on Leonid Brezhnev's Recent Discussions with Josip Broz Tito 144
• Document No. 33: Report by Czechoslovak Press Agency Correspondent Ján Riško from Moscow, May 12,1968 (Excerpts) 145
• Document No. 34: Cable from the Soviet Ambassador in Warsaw to Soviet Prime Minister Aleksei Kosygin, May 22,1968 147
• Document No. 35: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček Informing Him about the Results of the Moscow Meeting of the [Five], May 1968 148
• Document No. 36: [On the Current Situation (Some Urgent Points regarding the USSR's International Position),] the Cpsu Politburo's Dissemination of Briefing Materials on the Crisis to Cpsu Members, May 27,1968 150
• Document No. 37: Alexander Dubček's Speech to the Cpcz Cc Plenary Session, May 29 – June 1,1968, with Discussion by Vasil Bil'Ak (Excerpts) 152
• Document No. 38: Kan's Manifesto, May 1968 156
• Document No. 39: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček Proposing Another Bilateral Meeting, June 11,1968 158
• Document No. 40: [Status of the Šumava Allied Exercise,] Report to Alexander Dubček by Čssr Defense Minister Martin Dzúr, June 17,1968 160
• Document No. 41: Resolution and Letter to the Soviet People from the National Conference of the People's Militia, June 19,1968 163
• Document No. 42: [Czechoslovakia 166
• Document No. 43: [On the Dissemination of the Cpsu Cc's Periodic Report on the Situation in Czechoslovakia and Certain Foreign Policy Steps of the Romanian Leadership] 172
• Document No. 44: The [Two Thousand Words] Manifesto, June 27,1968 177
• Part Four - The July Crisis 183
• Document No. 45: Briefing on the Šumava Exercises for Alexander Dubček and Oldřich Černík by Commanders of the Czechoslovak People's Army, July 1,1968, with Follow-Up Talks between Dubček and Marshal Yakubovskii 191
• Document No. 46: Letter of the Cpsu Cc Politburo to the Cpcz Cc Presidium, July 4,1968 194
• Document No. 47: Report on the Šumava Exercises by Generals I. Oláh and F. Szűcs of the Hungarian People's Army to the Hswp Politburo, July 5,1968 (Excerpts) 199
• Document No. 48: General Semyon Zolotov's Retrospective Account of the Šumava Military Exercises 202
• Document No. 49: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček Inviting a Cpcz Delegation to the Warsaw Meeting, July 6,1968 206
• Document No. 50: Top-Secret Telegram from Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko to Moscow regarding the Cpcz Cc Presidium's Decision Not to Attend the Warsaw Meeting, July 9,1968 207
• Document No. 51 Message from Alexander Dubček and Oldřich Černík to Leonid Brezhnev, July 14,1968 210
• Document No. 52: Transcript of the Warsaw Meeting, July 14–15, 1968 (Excerpts) 212
• Document No. 53: The Warsaw Letter, July 14–15,1968 234
• Document No. 54: Press Conference with Lt. General Václav Prchlík, July 15,1968 239
• Document No. 55: Response by the Cpcz Cc Presidium to the Warsaw Letter, July 16–17,1968 243
• Document No. 56: Speech by Leonid Brezhnev to the Cpsu Central Committee on the Proceedings and Results of the Warsaw Meeting, July 17,1968 250
• Document No. 57: Letter from Marshal Yakubovskii to Alexander Dubček on Gen. Prchlík's News Conference, July 18,1968 259
• Document No. 58: Transcript of Discussion between Alexander Dubček and Waldeck Rochet, July 19,1968 (Excerpts) 261
• Document No. 59: Letter from the French Cp to Leonid Brezhnev, July 23,1968 264
• Document No. 60: Soviet Government Diplomatic Note to the Czechoslovak Government, July 20,1968 265
• Document No. 61: [Problems with the Policy of Safeguarding the Internal and External Security of the State, Their Status at Present, the Basic Ways to Resolve Them,] Czechoslovakia's Plans for Future Changes in Military and National Security Policies, July 1968 (Excerpts) 268
• Document No. 62: Meeting Notes Taken by Chief of the Hungarian People's Army General Staff Károly Csémi on Talks with Soviet Generals in Budapest to Discuss Preparations for [Operation Danube,] July 24,1968 277
• Document No. 63: [Message from the Citizens to the Cpcz Cc Presidium,] July 26,1968 279
• Document No. 64: [On the Current Security Situation,] Report by Oldřich Černík for the Cpcz Cc Presidium, July 27,1968 (Excerpts) 281
• Document No. 65: Speeches by Leonid Brezhnev, Alexander Dubček, and Aleksei Kosygin at the Čierna Nad Tisou Negotiations, July 29,1968 (Excerpts) 284
• Document No. 66: Dispatches from Czechoslovak Ambassadors in Berlin, Warsaw, and Budapest on the Deployment of Forces along Čssr Borders, July 29-August 1,1968 298
• Document No. 67: Alexander Dubček's Recollections of the Crisis 300
• Part Five - August—the Month of Intervention 309
• Document No. 68: Report by Soviet Ambassador to the GDR Pyotr Abrasimov on East Germany's Position Vis-à-Vis Czechoslovakia, July 28 and August 1,1968 316
• Document No. 69: Report by Soviet Ambassador to Bulgaria A.M. Puzanov on Bulgaria's Position Vis-á-Vis Czechoslovakia, August 1,1968 317
• Document No. 70: Polish Views of the Situation in Czechoslovakia on the Eve of the Bratislava Conference, August 2,1968 319
• Document No. 72: The [Letter of Invitation] from the Anti-Reformist Faction of the Cpcz Leadership, August 1968 324
• Document No. 73: The Bratislava Declaration, August 3,1968 326
• Document No. 74: Statement by the Cpcz Cc Presidium after the Talks at Čierna and Bratislava, August 6,1968 330
• Document No. 75: János Kádár's Speech at a Hungarian Cc Plenum, August 7,1968, regarding Events since the Warsaw Meeting (Excerpts) 331
• Document No. 76: Report by Soviet Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko to the Kremlin on His Meeting with Alexander Dubček, August 7,1968 333
• Document No. 77: Summary Report and Transcript of Telephone Conversation between Leonid Brezhnev and Alexander Dubček, August 9,1968 336
• Document No. 78: Cables from the Czechoslovak Ambassadors in London and Washington on U.S. Reactions to the Situation in Czechoslovakia, August 10–12,1968 339
• Document No. 79: Cables between Moscow and East Berlin regarding the Approaching Czechoslovak-East German Meeting in Karlovy Vary, August 10–11,1968 341
• Document No. 80: Cpsu Cc Politburo Message to Alexander Dubček, August 13,1968 343
• Document No. 81: Transcript of Leonid Brezhnev's Telephone Conversation with Alexander Dubček, August 13,1968 345
• Document No. 82: The Cpsu Politburo's Instructions to Ambassador Chervonenko for Meetings with Czechoslovak Leaders, August 13,1968 357
• Document No. 83: János Kádár's Report on Soviet-Hungarian Talks at Yalta, August 12–15,1968 360
• Document No. 84: Reports on Warsaw Pact Military Communications Exercises and Marshal Grechko's Inspection Tours, August 9–16,1968 363
• Document No. 85: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček, and Dubček's Notes, regarding the Cpcz's Purported Failure to Carry out Pledges Made at Čierna and Bratislava, August 16,1968 366
• Document No. 86: Summary of Alexander Dubček's Meeting with János Kádár at Komárno, August 17,1968 370
• Document No. 87: General Semyon Zolotov's Account of the Final Military Preparations for the Invasion 373
• Document No. 88: The Soviet Politburo's Resolution on the Final Decision to Intervene in Czechoslovakia, August 17,1968, with Attachments 376
• Document No. 89: Draft [Letter of Warning] from the Cpsu Cc Politburo to the Cpcz Cc Presidium, August 17,1968 384
• Document No. 90: Cable Traffic between the Cpsu Politburo and Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko Amending the Text and Delivery Time of the [Letter of Warning,] August 17–18,1968 388
• Document No. 91: Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko's Report on His Meeting with Czechoslovak President Ludvík Svoboda, August 17,1968 391
• Document No. 92: Leonid Brezhnev's Speech at a Meeting of the [Warsaw Five] in Moscow, August 18,1968 (Excerpts) 395
• Document No. 93: Cable from Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko to the Kremlin on His Meeting with Alexander Dubček and Oldřich černík, August 19,1968 400
• Document No. 94: Message from the Cpsu Cc Politburo to Members of the Cpsu Cc and Other Top Party Officials regarding the Decision to Intervene in Czechoslovakia, August 19,1968 401
• Document No. 95: Ciphered Telegram from Andrei Gromyko to Soviet Embassies in Eastern Europe Transmitting the Joint Text of an Appeal to the Czechoslovak People's Army, August 19,1968 403
• Document No. 96: Cable to Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko Rom Moscow with a Message for President Svoboda, August 19,1968, and Chervonenko's Response, August 21,1968 405
• Document No. 97! Emergency Cable from the Cpsu Politburo to Soviet Ambassadors around the World, August 19–20,1968 409
• Document No. 98: Invasion Warning from Czechoslovak Ambassador to Hungary Jozef Púčik, August 20,1968 410
• Document No. 99: Report by Defense Minister Dzúr, June 9,1970, regarding His Activities on the Night of August 20–21,1968 (Excerpts) 411
• Document No. 100: Statement by the Cpcz Cc Presidium Condemning the Warsaw Pact Invasion, August 21,1968 414
• Document No. 101: Report by a Czechoslovak State Security (Stb) Official on the Arrest of Dubček and Other Members of the Cpcz Cc Presidium, August 21,1968 416
• Document No. 102: The Arrest of the Cpcz Cc Presidium Members, as Recalled by Josef Smrkovský's Personal Secretary H. Maxa 418
• Document No. 103: Alexander Dubček's Recollections of the Invasion and Its Immediate Aftermath 420
• Document No. 104: Oldřich Černík's Recollections of the Crisis (Excerpts) 424
• Document No. 105: János Kádár's Recollections of Events Preceding and Following the Invasion 427
• Document No. 106: The Invasion in Retrospect 431
• Document No. 107: The Invasion in Retrospect 433
• Part Six - The Aftermath 437
• Document No. 108: Directive from the Commanders of the Southern Group of Soviet Forces regarding Efforts to Disarm the Czechoslovak People's Army, August 1968s 443
• Document No. 109: Minutes of the U.S. National Security Council Meeting on the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia, August 20,1968 445
• Document No. 110: Cable from Czechoslovak Ambassador to Washington Karel Duda, to Prague, August 21,1968 449
• Document No. 111: Occupation Order from the Soviet Commander in Trenčín, August 21,1968 450
• Document No. 112: Initial On-Site Report by Kirill Mazurov to the Cpsu Cc Politburo, August 21,1968 452
• Document No. 113: Moscow Cpsu Committee's Assessment of Local Citizens' Initial Reactions to the Invasion, August 21–22,1968 (Excerpts) 453
• Document No. 114: Pravda Editorial Justifying the Invasion, August 22,1968 (Excerpts) 456
• Document No. 115: Discussions Involving Certain Members of the Cpcz Cc Presidium and Secretariat, at the Soviet Embassy in Prague and the Čssr President's Office, August 22,1968 (Excerpts) 460
• Document No. 116: Stenographic Account of Alexander Dubček's Talks with Leonid Brezhnev and Other Members of the Cpsu Cc Politburo, August 23,1968 (Excerpts) 465
• Document No. 117: Minutes of Soviet-Czechoslovak Talks in the Kremlin, August 23 and 26,1968 (Excerpts) 469
• Document No. 118: Minutes of the First Post-Invasion Meeting of the [Warsaw Five] in Moscow, August 24,1968 474
• Document No. 119: The Moscow Protocol, August 26,1968 477
• Document No. 120: Alexander Dubček's Recollections of the Moscow Negotiations and the Moscow Protocol 481
• Document No. 121: Testimony by the Chief of the Czpa General Staff and the Head of the Czpa's Main Political Directorate at a Meeting of the Presidium of the National Assembly, August 26,1968 (Excerpts) 484
• Document No. 122: Speech by Gustáv Husák at the Extraordinary 14th Congress of the Slovak Communist Party, August 28,1968 (Excerpts) 487
• Document No. 123: Josef Smrkovský's Address to the People after His Return from Moscow, August 29,1968 (Excerpts) 489
• Document No. 124: Situation Report by the U.S. State Department, August 29,1968 490
• Document No. 125: Summary Notes of the 590th Meeting of the National Security Council, September 4,1968 (Excerpts) 492
• Document No. 126: Recommendations from the Cpsu Cc Propaganda Department on Efforts to Establish Political Control in Czechoslovakia, September 6,1968 (Excerpts) 497
• Document No. 127: Cpcz Central Committee Notes on Problems Stemming from the Presence of Warsaw Pact Forces in Czechoslovakia, September 1968 498
• Document No. 128: Unofficial Enunciation of the [Brezhnev Doctrine,] September 26,1968 (Excerpts) 502
• Document No. 129: Stenographic Account of the Meeting of the [Warsaw Five] in Moscow, September 27,1968 (Excerpts) 504
• Document No. 130: KGB Report on the [Counterrevolutionary Underground] in Czechoslovakia, October 13,1968 (Excerpts) 513
• Document No. 131: Stenographic Account of Soviet-Czechoslovak Negotiations in Moscow, October 3–4,1968 (Excerpts) 526
• Document No. 132: CIA Intelligence Information Cable, [Comments on the Growth of Disunity within Czech Leadership and Other Aspects of the Current Status of the Soviet Occupation of Czechoslovakia,] October 11,1968 530
• Document No. 133: Bilateral Treaty on the [Temporary Presence of Soviet Forces on Czechoslovak Territory,] October 16,1968 533
• Document No. 134: The Cpcz Leadership's Assessment of the Treaty on Soviet Troop Deployments, October 1968 537
• Document No. 135: The Soviet Politburo's Assessment of the Lessons of Operation [Danube] and the Tasks Ahead, November 16,1968 547
• Document No. 136: Minutes of the Soviet-Czechoslovak Negotiations in Kiev, 7–8 December 1968 (Excerpts) 555
• Document No. 137: Vasil Bil'Ak's Recollections of Preparations for the April 1969 Cpcz Cc Plenum, and the Removal of Alexander Dubček 561
• Document No. 138: Talks between Čssr Defense Minister Dzúr and Soviet Defense Minister Grechko, April 1,1969 564
• Part Seven - Documentary Epilogue 571
• Document No. 140: Soviet and Warsaw Pact Apologies to Czechoslovakia, December 1989 576
• Main Actors 577
• Selected Organizations 581
• Bibliography 583
• Index of Names 591

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