The Velvet Revolution By Emi Amy and Ben

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The Velvet Revolution By Emi, Amy and Ben

The Velvet Revolution • The ten days of the Czechoslovakian Velvet Revolution occurred between the 17 th-27 th November 1989. • After the failure of the Prague Spring, the Czechoslovakian people were influenced but the SOLIDARITY movement in Poland.

The Situation Prior to the Revolution • Czechoslovakia had been under a communist rule since 1948. • The communists banned any opposition parties or outspoken critics of the regime. • Some dissidents published homemade periodicals, but were under a constant threat of the communist secret police.

• The fear of the wrath of the communists caused the general public to fear supporting the dissidents. • One of the punishments was to be “Blacklisted” – if you were to support a non -communist party, had family in the west or supported Dubeck during the Prague Springs.

• Schools and the media were all state controlled and many books were banned. • The Communist leaders verbally supported the implementation of Perestroika, but secretly were against it. • Talking about the Prague Spring, a brief period in 1965 when Czechoslovakia was free from the Communist rule, was banned.

Causes • There was mass discontent with the very poor living standards and the economic inadequacy, with many people calling for reforms. • Many neighbouring countries were starting to be more politically active and minor revolutionary movements were starting.

• East Germans occupied the West German embassy in Prague and demanded to be let into West Germany. • Many East Germans left Prague to go to the West.

Organisations • The Civic Forum: A Czech based political movement. This organisation aimed to unify the Anti-Authoritarian Forces in Czechoslovakia to overthrow the Communist regime. • Public Against Violence: The corresponding Slovakian based movement.

Events of the Velvet Revolution • First day- there was a peaceful student demonstration commemorating International Student Day in Prague. This ended in a violent struggle between the police and students. • Second day- Vaclav Havel formed The Socialist Union of Youth, calling for the state to be politically restructured.

• Day Three – Theatre strikes spread across Prague, they opened up their stages to student public discussions and anti-government propaganda throughout the city. • Day Four – At the Prague Theatre Havel and other prominent dissident members made demands such as the resignation of the government and the release of political prisoners and the dismissal of top officials responsible for violence.

• Day 5 – Members of Civic Forum made unofficial negotiations with Prime Minister Adamec who was sympathetic to students demands, however he was outvoted by other gov members and no concessions were made. Police had to stop a demonstration that was heading towards Prague castle.

• Day 6 - Civic forum and prime minister met officially for the first time in which the PM stated that he would guarantee a no violence policy. An organised mass demonstration took place in Hviezdoslav square in downtown Bratislava, the students asked the people to join their demonstrations. Alexander Dubcek who pioneered the failed Prague spring uprising made his first appearance in the revolutions which contributed to the release of political prisoner Ján Čarnogurský (the later Prime Minister of Slovakia

• Last few days - on 26 th of Nov, Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec met with Václav Havel for the first time, on Monday Nov 27 th A successful twohour general strike led by the civic movements strengthened what were at first a moderate set of demands into cries for a new government. The Ministry of Culture released anti-Communist literature for public checkouts in libraries, which effectively ended censorship.

• Finally on Dec 10 th President Gustáv Husák appointed a non-communist government and abdicated.

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