August 1968

In 1968, the ZSSR (now Russia) armies attacked the territory of Czechoslovakia. The streets in the town were overflow by tanks. The barracks were hold by enemy soldiers and the Russians took over the Czechoslovakia government.

The reform process, which was trying changes the economic status of the republic ended. The reformists were sent to prison and the Soviets introduced hard rules, which lasted 20 years. The ZSSR armies stayed for a long time in our country.

           The leader of the reformists Alexander Dubcek and his colleagues were eliminated, when they started to talk about ‘’freedom of speech’’ and mainly about democratic elections, which were not respected by the leaders of the Communists Party.

Alexander Dubcek could not work in public life for 20 years and he had to work as a common worker in the State forests. He was followed by the secret police and they guarded his house all the time. In 1988 the fence around him was broken and state politics opened him a way to the Western Europe.  In the time when Slovak people could not speak with him, the Italians built him a statue!!!

In 1986, he had again become a representative of Slovak and Czechoslovak politics- he was leader of Czechoslovakian parliament, and in 1992, he was killed by a car accident.

20th - 21st August 1968 around 23.00 the army of Soviet federation, Poland republic, German Democratic republic, Hungary and Gulgaria crossed the state border of CzechoSlovakian socialistic republic. It happened with out knowing of president of republic and state delegates. What is more, during the occupation of the state building in Praque A. Dubček was arrested. During the occupation of Czechoslovakia many civilized people lost their lifes, because at first night they thought that it is a mistake, they tried to stop the army so they lay under the arriving army technics.

(The message of the Communist party chairmanship of CzechoSlovakia from night 21st August 1968)

That was only one message, which successfully informed, because the building of news, radion, and TV station was  occupied. After a few hours an ilegal transmitter started to transmitt from private houses, so that population was informed.

Whole CzechoSlovakia was under the unknown army of Socialist states. Most of incident between the army and population appeared in Praque, Bratislava an Košice, where lot of people died. Lot of young people were ready raise their hands against the socialistic army and they died. Those facts were so secret, that we nowadays couldn´t know the exact numbers of victims. At first, people thought it´s an mistake but after a while everybody knew - communist occupied our country. The hegemony of communist continued until the November 1989, when the velvet revolution started.

Alexander Dubček, hero of these events, was rehabilitated, he became a chirman of Federal parliament, unfortunately, tragic car accident ended his life.

Update 24. March 2005
Ing. Lýdia Haliaková