Soviet-Czechoslovak relations
Encyclopedia
Czechoslovakia–Soviet Union relations refers to the foreign relations
between the former states of Czechoslovakia
and the Soviet Union
.
authorities and Czechoslovak Legions
and from the following participation of the Legions in the allied intervention
against Bolsheviks. Moreover, Karel Kramář
, Czechoslovak 1st Prime Minister, disliked the Bolshevik regime from personal reasons (his wife came from Russian nobility).
Czechoslovakia recognized the Soviet Union de jure
not until 1934. On May 16, 1935 the Czechoslovak-Soviet Treaty of Alliance was signed between the two states. As the consequence of Soviet alliance with France (which was the Czechoslovak main ally).
and the establishing of pro-German Slovak pupet state in March 1939 Soviet Union quickly recognized new status quo
and terminated the diplomatic relations with Czech representatives. Hundreds of
the Czechoslovak refugees looking for safety in Soviet Union were sent to the labor camps
, except of the Czechoslovak communist who fled to Soviet Union shortly after the Munich Agreement
.
However, immediately after the German (and Slovak) attack
in June 1941, Soviet government was the first who recognized the leaders of Czechoslovak resistance in London as the allied government
and approved the formation of Czechoslovak armed forces
from the refugees. In December 1943, new Treaty of Alliance (for next twenty years) was signed in Moscow and the Treaty of Military Cooperation followed next spring. From September 1944 to May 1945 the Red Army
with joined Czechoslovak forces liberated most of the pre-Munich Czechoslovak territory, which was crowned by the liberation of its capital Prague
on May 9th. However, the easternmost part of Czechoslovakia, Carpathian Ruthenia
, was annexed to USSR shortly after its liberation (and ceded officially to Soviet Union in 1946).
As a result of the synchronous annexation of eastern parts of Poland
and Rumania, Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia gained common border
- for the first time in their history.
After the February 1948
Czechoslovakia was firmly set into the Soviet sphere of influence and the motto
Se Sovětským svazem na věčné časy! (With Soviet Union forever!) represented the essence of the communist's policy. Inevitably Czechoslovakia became another Soviet satellite
and any mark of disloyalty was bitterly suppressed in political trial
s under supervision of Soviet advisors (e.g. Slánský trial). Czechoslovakia was also constituent member of many Soviet-led international organisations, most notably the economic organization Comecon
(1949-1991) and the military organization Warsaw Pact
(1955–1991).
In two following decades Czechoslovakia was the most faithful Soviet's ally in the Central Europe
. While the pro-soviet regimes in other states of Eastern Bloc
, such as East Germany
, Poland
or Hungary underwent deep crisis after Stalin's death
and later Khrushchev's criticism of Stalin, the friendship between Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union was undisputed.
The inconsistent changes in the slow process of deStalinization
, led to the call for faster reforms among the people of Czechoslovakia. The old leadership of the Czechoslovak Communist Party was withdrawn in late 1967 and the new communist leader Alexander Dubček
accelerated the reforms in economical, political and cultural life, as well as the rehabilitation of 50's-era victims. Though Dubček do not intend nothing else than refresh the regime, many people wanted more radical chanes. This so-called Prague Spring
in 1968 raised the scepticism and suspicion among leaders of other states of Eastern Bloc, especially in the Kremlin
. The Soviet Union, Poland, and East Germany threatened Dubček in order to get him to not go through with the reforms. The threats from the Soviets increased and eventually lead to the August 1968 military invasion of Czechoslovakia
.
After the occupation the official policy With Soviet Union forever! was again introduced, but the reputation of Soviet Union among Czechoslovak public was deeply decreased. When Mikhail Gorbachev
in 1986 declared the Soviets will no more intervene in the affairs of Czechoslovakia, it was the beginning of the end of communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
After the collapse of Soviet Union and the later dissolution of Czechoslovakia
their relations were replaced by bilateral relations of the succession states.
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
between the former states of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Changes in the interwar relations
At the beginning of the existence of both states, their relation was bad. There was strong animosity sourcing from the armed conflict between BolshevikBolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
authorities and Czechoslovak Legions
Czechoslovak Legions
The Czechoslovak Legions were volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting together with the Entente powers during World War I...
and from the following participation of the Legions in the allied intervention
Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War
The Allied intervention was a multi-national military expedition launched in 1918 during World War I which continued into the Russian Civil War. Its operations included forces from 14 nations and were conducted over a vast territory...
against Bolsheviks. Moreover, Karel Kramář
Karel Kramár
Karel Kramář was a Czech politician.- Biography :Leader of the Young Czech Party in Austria-Hungary and later of the National Democratic Party in Czechoslovakia...
, Czechoslovak 1st Prime Minister, disliked the Bolshevik regime from personal reasons (his wife came from Russian nobility).
Czechoslovakia recognized the Soviet Union de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
not until 1934. On May 16, 1935 the Czechoslovak-Soviet Treaty of Alliance was signed between the two states. As the consequence of Soviet alliance with France (which was the Czechoslovak main ally).
World War II
After the German occupation of CzechoslovakiaGerman occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
and the establishing of pro-German Slovak pupet state in March 1939 Soviet Union quickly recognized new status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
and terminated the diplomatic relations with Czech representatives. Hundreds of
the Czechoslovak refugees looking for safety in Soviet Union were sent to the labor camps
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
, except of the Czechoslovak communist who fled to Soviet Union shortly after the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
.
However, immediately after the German (and Slovak) attack
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
in June 1941, Soviet government was the first who recognized the leaders of Czechoslovak resistance in London as the allied government
Czechoslovak government-in-exile
The Czechoslovak government-in-exile was an informal title conferred upon the Czechoslovak National Liberation Committee, initially by British diplomatic recognition. The name came to be used by other World War II Allies as they subsequently recognized it...
and approved the formation of Czechoslovak armed forces
Czechoslovak military units on Eastern front
The 1st Independent Field Battalion, which was formed in Buzuluk, in the Urals, was the first Allied unit fighting alongside the Red Army in Soviet territory...
from the refugees. In December 1943, new Treaty of Alliance (for next twenty years) was signed in Moscow and the Treaty of Military Cooperation followed next spring. From September 1944 to May 1945 the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
with joined Czechoslovak forces liberated most of the pre-Munich Czechoslovak territory, which was crowned by the liberation of its capital Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
on May 9th. However, the easternmost part of Czechoslovakia, Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
, was annexed to USSR shortly after its liberation (and ceded officially to Soviet Union in 1946).
As a result of the synchronous annexation of eastern parts of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Rumania, Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia gained common border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
- for the first time in their history.
Communist regime
After the war the Soviet Union enjoyed a huge credit of the Liberator of Czechoslovakia and had strong influence on Czechoslovak foreign policy and on the rising power of Czechoslovak Communist Party. The non-communist parties in Czechoslovak government were in trap when they tried to stop the rise of Communist and to keep the friendship of Soviet Union, which was widely regarded as the only prevention of future German aggression.After the February 1948
Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948
The Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 – in Communist historiography known as "Victorious February" – was an event late that February in which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, ushering in over four decades...
Czechoslovakia was firmly set into the Soviet sphere of influence and the motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
Se Sovětským svazem na věčné časy! (With Soviet Union forever!) represented the essence of the communist's policy. Inevitably Czechoslovakia became another Soviet satellite
Satellite state
A satellite state is a political term that refers to a country that is formally independent, but under heavy political and economic influence or control by another country...
and any mark of disloyalty was bitterly suppressed in political trial
Show trial
The term show trial is a pejorative description of a type of highly public trial in which there is a strong connotation that the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal to present the accusation and the verdict to the public as...
s under supervision of Soviet advisors (e.g. Slánský trial). Czechoslovakia was also constituent member of many Soviet-led international organisations, most notably the economic organization Comecon
Comecon
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance , 1949–1991, was an economic organisation under hegemony of Soviet Union comprising the countries of the Eastern Bloc along with a number of communist states elsewhere in the world...
(1949-1991) and the military organization Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
(1955–1991).
In two following decades Czechoslovakia was the most faithful Soviet's ally in the Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
. While the pro-soviet regimes in other states of Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
, such as East Germany
Uprising of 1953 in East Germany
The Uprising of 1953 in East Germany started with a strike by East Berlin construction workers on June 16. It turned into a widespread anti-Stalinist uprising against the German Democratic Republic government the next day....
, Poland
Poznan 1956 protests
The Poznań 1956 protests, also known as Poznań 1956 uprising or Poznań June , were the first of several massive protests of the Polish people against the communist government of the People's Republic of Poland...
or Hungary underwent deep crisis after Stalin's death
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and later Khrushchev's criticism of Stalin, the friendship between Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union was undisputed.
The inconsistent changes in the slow process of deStalinization
De-Stalinization
De-Stalinization refers to the process of eliminating the cult of personality, Stalinist political system and the Gulag labour-camp system created by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Stalin was succeeded by a collective leadership after his death in March 1953...
, led to the call for faster reforms among the people of Czechoslovakia. The old leadership of the Czechoslovak Communist Party was withdrawn in late 1967 and the new communist leader Alexander Dubček
Alexander Dubcek
Alexander Dubček , also known as Dikita, was a Slovak politician and briefly leader of Czechoslovakia , famous for his attempt to reform the communist regime during the Prague Spring...
accelerated the reforms in economical, political and cultural life, as well as the rehabilitation of 50's-era victims. Though Dubček do not intend nothing else than refresh the regime, many people wanted more radical chanes. This so-called Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
in 1968 raised the scepticism and suspicion among leaders of other states of Eastern Bloc, especially in the Kremlin
Moscow Kremlin
The Moscow Kremlin , sometimes referred to as simply The Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River , Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square and the Alexander Garden...
. The Soviet Union, Poland, and East Germany threatened Dubček in order to get him to not go through with the reforms. The threats from the Soviets increased and eventually lead to the August 1968 military invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
.
After the occupation the official policy With Soviet Union forever! was again introduced, but the reputation of Soviet Union among Czechoslovak public was deeply decreased. When Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
in 1986 declared the Soviets will no more intervene in the affairs of Czechoslovakia, it was the beginning of the end of communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
After the collapse of Soviet Union and the later dissolution of Czechoslovakia
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
their relations were replaced by bilateral relations of the succession states.