When the dawn fell on the 20th of August 1968 everything started. It was around midnight, when several thousands of Czechoslovak citizens awoke to the sound of heavy iron colossuses. At the first glance the only thing they saw was the big fire-bright star painted on the colossuses.
They just rolled past – what was happening? Nobody knew. People began to panic and they ran out on the streets only to be approached by heavy armoured vehicles and tanks. Nobody knew what was going on – not even the Soviet soldiers had the faintest idea.
It was only a small group of high-ranking Soviet officers and officials who knew that this was only the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Czechoslovakia.
In the history of man, there has never been a war between two open democracies. There has always been at least one dictatorship involved in each conflict. Communism was by far the most important and totalitarian form of dictatorship throughout the 20th century. Knowledge about the communist rule in the Soviet Union, and other dictatorships, is a relevant part of history. It is also relevant knowledge in our societies. If we want to strengthen and support our democracies, we have to know about the dictatorships. We have to be aware of other political systems and how they might act and affect us in different situations. The Prague Spring is not only an important Cold War event: it will also provide us with useful knowledge about the attitudes and policy of a dictatorship.
