Why did the Soviet Union invade Czechoslovakia in 1968?

The Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 to halt the liberal reforms introduced during the Prague Spring.

In the late 1960s, Czechoslovakia was undergoing a period of political liberalisation known as the Prague Spring. This was led by Alexander Dubček, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, who sought to create "socialism with a human face". His reforms included the decentralisation of the economy, the loosening of restrictions on media, speech and travel, and the promotion of political pluralism. These changes were seen as a threat by the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries, who feared that they could lead to the spread of liberal ideas and potentially undermine their own communist regimes.

The Soviet Union, under the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev, decided to intervene. On the night of 20-21 August 1968, Soviet troops, along with forces from other Warsaw Pact countries, invaded Czechoslovakia. The invasion was justified by the Brezhnev Doctrine, which stated that the Soviet Union had the right to intervene in any socialist country where the socialist revolution was under threat. The invasion was met with widespread resistance from the Czechoslovak public, but the Soviet forces were able to quickly take control of Prague and other major cities.

The invasion effectively ended the Prague Spring and marked a return to hard-line communism in Czechoslovakia. Dubček was arrested and later replaced by Gustáv Husák, who reversed many of the reforms. The invasion had significant implications for the Cold War, as it demonstrated the lengths to which the Soviet Union was willing to go to maintain control over its satellite states. It also led to a period of increased tension between the Soviet Union and the West, and was widely condemned by the international community.

In summary, the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 to halt the liberal reforms of the Prague Spring, fearing that they could spread to other communist countries and undermine the Soviet Union's control over the Eastern Bloc. The invasion marked a significant escalation in the Cold War and had lasting effects on Czechoslovakia and its relationship with the Soviet Union.