Russian TV documentary: USSR invasion of Czechoslovakia ("Prague Spring") prevented a NATO coup

[pampango]

New Russian invasion documentary dismays Czech and Slovak governments

The 1968 invasion by Soviet troops of Czechoslovakia has had a revision on Russian TV claiming they were there to stop Nato overthrowing the government

A statement on the Slovak ministry of foreign affairs website said they had been “unpleasantly surprised” by the film, entitled Warsaw Pact – Pages Declassified, describing it as an attempt “to rewrite history and to falsify historical truths about such a dark chapter of our history”. Czech foreign ministry spokeswoman Michaela Lagronova called it “lies”, and said the issue had been raised with the Russian ambassador as the same time as a demand for an explanation over Russia’s travel ban on a string of prominent Europeans.

Along with its Warsaw Pact allies, Russian troops entered Czechoslovakia in a successful attempt to halt the Prague Spring liberalisation reforms instituted by the country’s then leader, Alexander Dubček. Over 100 Czechoslovaks were killed and five times that wounded. Warsaw Pact – Pages Declassified has been accused of seeking to claim that the invasion was designed to prevent the “illegal armed overthrow of the government” as Nato troops were poised “to enter Czechoslovakia”.

Czech European MP Pavel Telička said the film was “more proof of the deterioration of Russian democracy and the onset of Brezhnev-like thinking and behaviour”.

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/02/new-russian-invasion-documentary-dismays-czech-slovak-governments

The rehabilitation of the USSR seems to be proceeding right along.

If the Soviet military was justified to invade Czechoslovakia in 1968 to beat back NATO, does Moscow think that intervention in Ukraine for the same reason is justified?

[NBachers]

1. Yuri Andropov

From Wikipedia:

Crushing the Prague Spring

During the Prague Spring events in Czechoslovakia, Andropov was the main proponent of the "extreme measures". He ordered the fabrication of false intelligence not only for public consumption, but also for the Soviet Politburo[citation needed]. "The KGB whipped up the fear that Czechoslovakia could fall victim to NATO aggression or to a coup".[9] At this time, agent Oleg Kalugin reported from Washington that he gained access to "absolutely reliable documents proving that neither the CIA nor any other agency was manipulating the Czechoslovak reform movement".[9] However his message was destroyed because it contradicted the conspiracy theory fabricated by Andropov.[9] Andropov ordered a number of active measures, collectively known as operation PROGRESS, against Czechoslovak reformers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Andropov

[Recursion]

2. At least they waited until Havel was dead (nt)

[Sunlei]

3. after WW2 was over the soviets moved in to nazi devastated areas and stayed in many places.

Ukraine was one of the places, especially Crimea. Millions of people died in that country, nazis were booted out and the wave of soviet military kept plundering.

[Snobblevitch]

5. Ukraine was one of the original Soviet states.

Even though Ukraine as a society and culture predated Russia, the Tsar and the Soviets dominated them. That is why at first the Ukrainians welcomed 'liberation' by Germany. It was not long after that the men who were not in the Soviet Army became partisans fighting against the Germans.

[hobbit709]

4. And Hungary in 1956 was what?

I'm waiting for that explanation.

[NuclearDem]

6. Big Budapest block party.

Soviet military was invited, pitiful Hungarians couldn't party like Russians could.

[geek tragedy]

7. protection against a wave of Ukrainian nazis spreading 'gay propaganda'

the Russians are a pretty sad spectacle these days

[MohRokTah]

8. I'm sure some Putin supporter will be along to agree with the Russian version.