Prague Spring: Warsaw Pact Invasion, 1968(Cold War 1945-1991)

Cold War nadir: January 1968 and in Czechoslovakia the new Communist Party leader Alexander Dubcek has made it clear that this is the opportunity to loosen the Soviet stranglehold on the country. As the Prague winter slowly eases into a Prague spring, it really does seem as if Dubcek has judged it right. Reforms in oppressive censorship laws, improved housing, a lessening of totalitarian oppression, Dubcek promises and delivers on it all. The new regime in Czechoslovakia does seek to destroy communism but it does want to choose its own political destiny. And then, on the night of 20/21 August the Prague Spring is crushed by the Warsaw Pact invasion: 200,000 Communist troops, mostly Soviet but also Polish and East German, flood the country. The resulting protests and rallies against the invasion, mostly by young people, are violent and bloody. Hundreds die in clashes; self-immolation, in public and before the eyes of the world, brings home the horror and the depth of feeling in the Czech people. It is the end of the Prague Spring, the reformation of Czechoslovakia having ended in ruins. But despite the brutal crushing of Czech hopes and dreams, the events of 1968 lay the foundations for future change. It will take another two decades but it is, ultimately, where the unravelling of the Communist bloc begins. AUTHOR: Phil Carradice is a well-known writer and historian with over 60 books to his credit. A poet, story teller and broadcaster, his most recent books are "The Cuban Missile Crisis" (for Pen and Sword), "The Call Up" (Fonthill) and the novel "Stargazers" for Accent Press. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio and TV, presents the BBC Wales History programme "The Past Master" and is widely regarded as one of the finest creative writing tutors in Wales. 20 colour and 75 b/w images

About the Author :
Phil Carradice is a poet, novelist and historian. He has written over fifty books, the most recent being _The Call-up: A Study of Peacetime Conscription in Britain_ and _Napoleon in Defeat and Captivity_. He presents the BBC Wales history programme _The Past Master_ and is a regular broadcaster on both TV and radio. A native of Pembroke Dock, he now lives in the Vale of Glamorgan but travels extensively in the course of his work. Educated at Cardiff University and at Cardiff College of Education, Phil is a former head teacher but now lives as a full-time writer and is regarded as one of Wales's best creative writing tutors. He writes extensively for several Pen & Sword military history series including Cold War 1945-1991' and History of Terror'.