Velk djiny zem Koruny esk XIX. (1968) Hoppe Ji (2026)

This Czech-language volume of the history of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown examines the events of 1968, when the attempt to give socialism a human face ended beneath tank tracks. The subject is rich enough to fill an entire volume, from Antonn Novotns two-month departure from the post of First Secretary and the ejna affair to the abolition of censorship and the ruling partys loss of control over the media. The book follows the creation of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakias Action Programme, the emerging political system, the opening of the western borders and the rapid deterioration of Czechoslovak-Soviet relations. The nineteenth volume traces how the democratisation process largely escaped party control, how the countrys leadership fought for reform on two fronts, at home and within the socialist camp, and how it ultimately faced the invasion, abduction to Moscow and brutal pressure from its allies. The author assesses the content of the so-called Moscow Protocol and the consequences of its signing by Czechoslovakias representatives, while also examining the Wests response to these dramatic events.