This is the first ever documented account of a Cold War crisis as seen from both sides of the Iron Curtain. Based on unprecedented access to the previously closed archives of each member-state of the Warsaw Pact, this book offers a unique look at a deeply divisive intra-bloc crisis.
Presented in a highly readable form, the book offers top-level documents from Kremlin Politburo meetings, multi-lateral sessions of the Warsaw Pact leading up to the decision to invade, and even transcriptions of KGB-recorded phone conversations between Leonid Brezhnev and Alexander Dubcek. Once highly classified American documents from the National Security Council, CIA, and other relevant agencies acquired through the U.S. Freedom of Information Act have also been included.
In order to provide a historical and political context, the editors have included an introductory essay for each section of the volume. A chronology, glossary, and bibliography offer further background information for the reader. As members of the commission appointed by Václav Havel to investigate the events of 1967-1970, the editors have a unique Czech-Slovak perspective to offer to foreign audiences.
- Cover
- Front matter
- Operation "Danube" (map)
- Series title page
- Title page
- Copyright page
- CONTENTS
- Preface by Václav Havel
- Foreword by H. Gordon Skilling
- Acknowledgements
- Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Chronology of Events
- PART ONE: 'A SUN SUDDENLY RISEN'. A PRELUDE TO THE PRAGUE SPRING OF 1968
- INTRODUCTION
- 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)
- DOCUMENT No. 2: Speeches by Alexander Dubček and Antonín Novotný at the CPCz CC Plenum, October 30-31, 1967
- DOCUMENT No. 3 : Remarks by Leonid Brezhnev at a Meeting of Top CPCz Officials, in Prague, December 9, 1967 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 4: János Kádár's Report to the HSWP Politburo of a Telephone Conversation with Leonid Brezhnev, December 13, 1967
- DOCUMENT No. 5 : Andrei Aleksandrov-Agentov's Memoir of the Pre-Crisis Period (Excerpt)
- PART TWO: FROM JANUARY TO DRESDEN
- INTRODUCTION
- DOCUMENT No. 6: Resolution of the CPCz CC Plenum, January 5, 1968, Electing Alexander Dubček as First Secretary
- DOCUMENT No. 7: János Kádár's Report to the HSWP Politburo on His Meetings with Alexander Dubček, January 20, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 8: Report Submitted to the CPCz C C Presidium on Alexander Dubček's Visit to Moscow, January 29-30, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 9 : "What Lies Ahead," by Josef Smrkovský, February 9, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 10: Alexander Dubček's Speech Marking the 20th Anniversary of Czechoslovakia's "February Revolution, "February 22, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 1 1 : Report by Czechoslovak Television Reporter on Soviet Reactions to the Events in the ČSSR, February 28, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 12: Observations by Czechoslovak Escort-Guides on the Views of Foreign Delegations Attending the Celebrations of the "February Revolution," February 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 13: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček lnviting a ČSSR Delegation to the USSR, March 16, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 14: Stenographic Account of the Dresden Meeting, March 23, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 15: Alexander Dubček's Presidium Report on the Dresden Meeting, March 25, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 16: Open Letter from 134 Czechoslovak Writers and Cultural Figures to the CPCz Central Committee, March 25, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 17: Soviet Reactions to Events in Czechoslovakia and the Dresden Meeting, as Assessed by the ltalian Embassy in Moscow, April 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 18: Dispatch from Budapest Outlining Hungarian Concerns about Events in Czechoslovakia after the Dresden Meeting, April 6, 1968
- PART THREE: REVISION, REFORM, REVOLUTION?
- INTRODUCTION
- DOCUMENT No. 19: The CPCz CC Action Program, April 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 20: Cahle from Andrei Gromyko for Todor Zhivkov, János Kádár, Walter Ulbricht, and Wladyslaw Gomulka Regarding the lnternal Security Situation in Czechoslovakia, April 1968
- IDOCUMENT No. 21: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček Expressing Concern about Events in Czechoslovakia, April 11, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 22: Cahle from Czechoslovak Ambassador Oldřich Pavlovský on a Conversation with Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister IPichev, April 17, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 23 : Memoir of Andrei Aleksandrov-Agentov on Interna! Soviet Deliberations about Czechoslovakia (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 24: Cahle to Moscow from Soviet Ambassado to Warsaw Averki Aristov Regarding Wladyslaw Gomulka's Views on the Situation in Czechoslovakia, April 16, 1968
- 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)
- 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)
- 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, Apríl 24-25, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 28: Stenographic Account of the Soviet-Czechoslovak Summit Meeting in Moscow, May 4-5, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 29: Report on the Visit of Luigi Longo, ltalian CP General Secretary, to Czechoslovakia, May 5-7, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 30: Minutes of the CPCz CC Presidium Meeting, May 7-8, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 3 1 : Minutes of the Secret Meeting of the "Five" in Moscow, May 8, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 32: Cahle from the Czechoslovak Ambassador to Yugoslavia, May 9, 1968, on Leonid Brezhnev's Recent Discussions with Josip Broz Tito
- DOCUMENT No. 33 : Report by Czechoslovak Press Agency Correspondent Ján Riško from Moscow, May 12, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 34: Cahle from the Soviet Ambassador in Warsaw to Soviet Prime Minister Aleksei Kosygin, May 22, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 35: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček Informing Him about the Results of the Moscow Meeting of the "Five", May 1968
- 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
- DOCUMENT No. 37: Alexander Dubčeťs Speech to the CPCz CC Plenary Session, May 29 - June 1, 1968, with Discussion by Vasil Bil'ak (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 38: KAN's Manifesto, May 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 39: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček Proposing Another Bilateral Meeting, June 1 1 , 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 40: "Status of the Šumava Allied Exercise," Report to Alexander Dubček by ČSSR Defense Minister Martin Dzúr, June 17, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 41: Resolution and Letter to the Soviet People from the National Conference of the People's Militia, June 19, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 42: "Czechoslovakia: The Dubček Pause," U.S. Intelligence Assessment of the Crisis, June 1968
- 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": A Memorandum on Efforts to Provide CPSU Members with the Politburo 's Latest Analysis of the Crisis, June 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 44: The "Two Thousand Words" Manifesto, June 27, 1968
- PART FOUR: THE JUL Y CRISIS
- INTRODUCTION
- DOCUMENT No. 45 : Briefing on the Šumava Exercises for Alexander Dubček and Oldřich Černm by Commanders of the Czechoslovak People 's Army, July 1, 1968, with Follow-up Talks between Dubček and Marshal Yakubovskii
- DOCUMENT No. 46: Letter of the CPSU CC Politburo to the CPCz CC Presidium, Joly 4 , 1968
- 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, Joly S, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 48: General Semyon Zolotov's Retrospective Account of the Šumava Military Exercises
- DOCUMENT No. 49: Letter from Leonid Brezhnev to Alexander Dubček Inviting a CPCz Delegation to the Warsaw Meeting, Joly 6, 1 968
- 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, Joly 9, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 51 : Message from Alexander Dubček and Oldřich Černm: to Leonid Brezhnev, July 14, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 52: Transcript of the Warsaw Meeting, July 14-15, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 53: The Warsaw Letter, July 14-15, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 54: Press Conference with Lt. General Václav Prchlík, July 15, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 55: Response by the CPCz C C Presidium to the Warsaw Letter, July 16-17, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 56: Speech by Leonid Brezhnev to the CPSU Central Committee on the Proceedings and Results of the Warsaw Meeting, July 17, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 57: Letter from Marsha! Yakubovskii to Alexander Dubček on Gen. Prchlík's News Conference, July 18, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 58: Transcript of Discussion between Alexander Dubček and Waldeck Rochet, July 19, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 59: Letter from the French CP to Leonid Brezhnev, July 23, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 60: Soviet Government Diplomatic Note to the Czechoslovak Government, Joly 20, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 6 1 : "Problems with the Polky 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)
- 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
- DOCUMENT No. 63: "Message from the Citizens to the CPCz CC Presidium," July 26, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 64: "On the Current Security Situation," Report by Oldřich Černík for the CPCz CC Presidium, July 27, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No .. 65: Speeches by Leonid Brezhnev, Alexander Dubček, and Aleksei Kosygin at the Čierna nad Tisou Negotiations, July 29, 1968 (Excerpts)
- 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
- DOCUMENT No. 67: Alexander Dubčeťs Recollections of the Crisis: Events Surrounding the Čierna nad Tisou Negotiations
- PART FIVE: AUGUST-THE MONTH OF INTERVENTION
- INTRODUCTION
- DOCUMENT No. 68: Report by Soviet Ambassador to the GDR Pyotr Abrasimov on East Germany's Position vis-a-vis Czechoslovakia, July 28 and August 1, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 69: Report by Soviet Ambassador to BulgariaA.M. Puzanov on Bulgaria's Position vis-a-vis Czechoslovakia,August 1, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 70: Polish Views of the Situation in Czechoslovakia on the Eve of the Bratislava Conference, August 2, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 71 : Vasil Bil'aťs Recollections of the Bratislava Conference
- DOCUMENT No. 72: The "Letter of Invitation" from the Anti-Reformist Faction of the CPCz Leadership, August 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 73: The Bratislava Declaration, August 3, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 74: Statement by the CPCz CC Presidium after the Talks at Čierna and Bratislava, August 6, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 75: János Kádár's Speech at a Hungarian C C Plenum, August 7, 1 968, Regarding Events since the Warsaw Meeting (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 76: Report by Soviet Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko to the Kremlin on His Meeting with Alexander Dubček, August 7, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 77: Summary Report and Transcript of Telephone Conversation between Leonid Brezhnev and Alexander Dubček,August 9, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 78: Cables from the Czechoslovak Ambassadors in London and Washington on U.S. Reactions to the Situationin Czechoslovakia, August 10-12, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 79: Cables between Moscow and East Berlin Regarding the Approaching Czechoslovak-East German Meeting in Karlovy Vary, August 10-1 1, 1 968
- DOCUMENT No. 80: CPSU CC Politburo Message to Alexander Dubček, August 13, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 81 : Transcript of Leonid Brezhnev 's Telephone Conversation with Alexander Dubček, August 13, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 82: The CPSU Politburo's Instructions to Ambassador Chervonenko for Meetings with Czechoslovak Leaders, August 13, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 83: János Kádár's Report on Soviet-Hungarian Talks at Yalta, August 12-15, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 84 : Reports on Warsaw Pact Military Communications Exercises and Marshal Grechko's Inspection Tours, August 9-16, 1968
- 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
- DOCUMENT No. 86: Summary of Alexander Dubček's Meeting with János Kádár at Komárno, August 17, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 87: General Semyon Zolotov 's Account of the Final Military Preparations for the Invasion
- DOCUMENT No. 88: The Soviet Politburo 's Resolution on the Final Decision to Intervene in Czechoslovakia, August 17, 1968, with Attachments
- DOCUMENT No. 89: Draft "Letter of Warning" from the CPSU CC Politburo to the CPCz CC Presidium, August 17, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 90: Cahle Traffic between the CPSU Politburo and Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko Amending the Text and Delivery Time of the "Letter of Warning," August 17-18, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 91: Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko's Report on His Meeting with Czechoslovak President Ludvík Svoboda, August 17, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 92: Leonid Brezhnev's Speech at a Meeting of the "Warsaw Five" in Moscow, August 18, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 93: Cahle from Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko to the Kremlin on His Meeting with Alexander Dubček and Oldřich Černík, August 19, 1968
- 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
- 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
- DOCUMENT No. 96: Cahle to Ambassador Stepan Chervonenko from Moscow with a Message for President Svoboda, August 19, 1968, and Chervonenko's Response, August 21, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 97: Emergency Cahle from the CPSU Politburo to Soviet Ambassadors around the World, August 19-20, 1 968
- DOCUMENT No. 98: Invasion Warning from Czechoslovak Ambassador to Hungary Jozef Púčik, August 20, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 99: Report by Defense Minister Dzúr, June 9, 1970, Regarding His Activities on the Night of August 20-21 , 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 100: Statement by the CPCz CC Presidium Condemning the Warsaw Pact Invasion, August 21, 1968
- 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
- DOCUMENT No. 102: The Arrest of the CPCz CC Presidium Members, as Recalled by Josef Smrkovský's Personal Secretary H. Maxa
- DOCUMENT No. 103: Alexander Dubčeťs Recollections of the Invasion and lts Immediate Aftermath
- DOCUMENT No. 104: Oldřich Černík's Recollections of the Crisis (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 105: János Kádár's Recollections of Events Preceding and Following the Invasion
- DOCUMENT No. 106: The Invasion in Retrospect: The Recollections of General Ivan Pavlovskii
- DOCUMENT No. 107 : The lnvasion in Retrospect: The Recollectionsof Kirill Mazurov
- PART SIX: THE AFTERMATH
- INTRODUCTION
- DOCUMENT No. 108: Directive from the Commanders of the Southern Group of Soviet Forces Regarding Efforts to Disarm the Czechoslovak People's Army, August 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 109: Minutes of the U.S. National Security Council Meeting on the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia, August 20, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 1 10: Cahle from Czechoslovak Ambassador to Washington Karel Duda, to Prague, August 21, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 111: Occupation Order from the Soviet Commander in Trenčín, August 21, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 112: Initial On-Site Report by Kirill Mazurov to the CPSU CC Politburo, August 21, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 113: Moscow CPSU Committee's Assessment of Local Citizens' Initial Reactions to the Invasion, August 21-22, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 114: Pravda Editorial Justifying the lnvasion, August 22, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 115: Discussions Involving Certain Members of the CPCz CC Presidium and Secretariat, at the Soviet Embassy in Prague and the ČSSR Presidenťs Office, August 22, 1968 (Excerpts)
- 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)
- DOCUMENT No. 117: Minutes of Soviet-Czechoslovak Talks in the Kremlin, August 23 and 26, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 118: Minutes of the First Post-Invasion Meeting of the "Warsaw Five" in Moscow, August 24, 1 968
- DOCUMENT No. 1 19: The Moscow Protocol, August 26, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 120: Alexander Dubček's Recollections of the Moscow Negotiations and the Moscow Protocol
- 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)
- DOCUMENT No. 122: Speech by Gustáv Husák at the Extraordinary 14th Congress of the Slovak Communist Party, August 28, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 123: Josef Smrkovský 's Address to the People after His Return from Moscow, August 29, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 124: Situation Report by the U.S. State Department, August 29, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 125: Summary Notes of the 590th Meeting of the National Security Council, September 4, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 126: Recommendations from the CPSU CC Propaganda Department on Efforts to Establish Political Control in Czechoslovakia, September 6, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 127: CPCz Central Committee Notes on Problems Stemming from the Presence of Warsaw Pact Forces in Czechoslovakia, September 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 128: Unofficial Enunciation of the "Brezhnev Doctrine," September 26, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 129: Stenographic Account of the Meeting of the "Warsaw Five" in Moscow, September 27, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 130: KGB Report on the "Counterrevolutionary Underground" in Czechoslovakia, October 13, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 131: Stenographic Account of Soviet-Czechoslovak Negotiations in Moscow, October 3-4, 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 132: CIA Intelligence lnformation Cahle, "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
- DOCUMENT No. 133: Bilateral Treaty on the "Temporary Presence of Soviet Forces on Czechoslovak Territory," October 16, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 134: The CPCz Leadership's Assessment of the Treaty on Soviet Troop Deployments, October 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 135: The Soviet Politburo's Assessment of the Lessons of Operation "Danube" and the Tasks Ahead, November 16, 1968
- DOCUMENT No. 136: Minutes of the Soviet-Czechoslovak Negotiations in Kiev, 7-8 December 1968 (Excerpts)
- DOCUMENT No. 137: Vasil Bil'ak's Recollections of Preparations for the April 1969 CPCz CC Plenum, and the Removal of Alexander Dubček
- DOCUMENT No. 138: Talks between ČSSR Defense Minister Dzúr and Soviet Defense Minister Grechko, April 1, 1969
- PART SEVEN: DOCUMENTARY EPILOGUE
- DOCUMENT No. 139: Vadim Medvedev's Account of the Legacy of the 1968 Crisis in the Age of Perestroika
- DOCUMENT No. 140: Soviet and Warsaw Pact Apologies to Czechoslovakia, December 1989
- MAIN ACTORS
- SELECTED ORGANIZATIONS
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
- INDEX OF NAMES
- photo gallery
- back cover
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