Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
theguardian.com
Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
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Re: Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
#2[deleted]
Re: Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
#3I once asked a Romainian colleague how the revolution went for him. The main thing he talked about was just how chaotic the post-revolution power struggle was. Having to argue an angry mob out of attacking the foreign students at his university. Two nearby Army units deciding that the other was a rebel faction and getting into a street battle with anti-tank guns. Widespread theft of basically everything from the collapsing state-owned industries - this had always been a problem, but suddenly there was nobody to even try to stop it.
Never imagine that a revolution ends when the corrupt leader is overthrown and taken out and shot. In Hollywood that's when the credits roll. In real life that's when the hard work is only just beginning.
Re: Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
#4I once asked a Romainian colleague how the revolution went for him. The main thing he talked about was just how chaotic the post-revolution power struggle was. Having to argue an angry mob out of attacking the foreign students at his university. Two nearby Army units deciding that the other was a rebel faction and getting into a street battle with anti-tank guns. Widespread theft of basically everything from the coll…
Romania was the only country where the leader (dictator) didn't step down when he was asked to by Moscow.
The leader was also obsessed that Romania would be invaded by Russia, like Czech was in 1968, so he had specialized guerilla army units to fight back. This can explain why the army was fighting itself, and why it took so long for the shooting to stop.
Re: Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
#5I once asked a Romainian colleague how the revolution went for him. The main thing he talked about was just how chaotic the post-revolution power struggle was. Having to argue an angry mob out of attacking the foreign students at his university. Two nearby Army units deciding that the other was a rebel faction and getting into a street battle with anti-tank guns. Widespread theft of basically everything from the coll…
Romania was the only country where the leader (dictator) didn't step down when he was asked to by Moscow. The leader was also obsessed that Romania would be invaded by Russia, like Czech was in 1968, so he had specialized guerilla army units to fight back. This can explain why the army was fighting itself, and why it took so long for the shooting to stop.
None of eastern bloc leaders was "asked to by Moscow" to step down - or do you have any sources for that claim?
Gorbachev merely assured everyone that USSR won't intervene like it did in 1956 or 1968, that everyone is on their own. He also encouraged (not enforced) reforms "perestroika" and transparency "glasnost".
Re: Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
#6Earlier quoted context omitted.
Romania was the only country where the leader (dictator) didn't step down when he was asked to by Moscow. The leader was also obsessed that Romania would be invaded by Russia, like Czech was in 1968, so he had specialized guerilla army units to fight back. This can explain why the army was fighting itself, and why it took so long for the shooting to stop.
None of eastern bloc leaders was "asked to by Moscow" to step down - or do you have any sources for that claim? Gorbachev merely assured everyone that USSR won't intervene like it did in 1956 or 1968, that everyone is on their own. He also encouraged (not enforced) reforms "perestroika" and transparency "glasnost".
> Visiting Berlin in early October, Gorbachev cautioned the East German leadership of the need to reform, and confided in his advisors that East German leader Erich Honecker had to be replaced. Two weeks later, Honecker was forced to resign, while hundreds of thousands marched in protest throughout major East German cities
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/fall-of-commu...
Re: Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
None of eastern bloc leaders was "asked to by Moscow" to step down - or do you have any sources for that claim? Gorbachev merely assured everyone that USSR won't intervene like it did in 1956 or 1968, that everyone is on their own. He also encouraged (not enforced) reforms "perestroika" and transparency "glasnost".
> Visiting Berlin in early October, Gorbachev cautioned the East German leadership of the need to reform, and confided in his advisors that East German leader Erich Honecker had to be replaced. Two weeks later, Honecker was forced to resign, while hundreds of thousands marched in protest throughout major East German cities https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/fall-of-commu...
Nowhere I could find he was directly forced to resign by Moscow. Some sources say it was Stasi, others that it was his own party because of general political situation (there was mass exodus to West Germany underway).
I am from Czechoslovakia, communists there similarly refused any reforms but I don't know of any initiative from Moscow to replace them.
Re: Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
#8There's a documentary called Meeting Gorbachev that's worth watching for anyone interested in learning more about the collapse of the USSR. Gorbachev was the leader of the USSR prior to its collapse.
While some saw the downfall of the USSR as the end of communism and a triumph for the west, others might say it was just another round of the revolving door of dictators and corrupt politicians that has plagued eastern Europe for decades (maybe centuries?).
Re: Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Visiting Berlin in early October, Gorbachev cautioned the East German leadership of the need to reform, and confided in his advisors that East German leader Erich Honecker had to be replaced. Two weeks later, Honecker was forced to resign, while hundreds of thousands marched in protest throughout major East German cities https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/fall-of-commu...
Nowhere I could find he was directly forced to resign by Moscow. Some sources say it was Stasi, others that it was his own party because of general political situation (there was mass exodus to West Germany underway). I am from Czechoslovakia, communists there similarly refused any reforms but I don't know of any initiative from Moscow to replace them.
I'm from Romania, there was a lot of talk that Gorbachev asked Ceausescu to resign, and offered him asylum in Russia, but I can't find a source for that.
But look here, a soviet source says that Moscow would have intervened militarily to prevent Ceausescu's return:
> “This victory will be a hundred times more valuable if it is won by the Romanian people themselves,” a senior Soviet official said. “We would definitely act to prevent Ceausescu’s return--by now, that has been made clear to all--but the victory belongs to the Romanian people and must be protected and developed by them. In this, they can count on our firmest support, but let the actions be theirs.”
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-12-24-mn-2156-s...
> In reality, it may have been a carefully planned coup aided by the Soviet Union -- Mikhail Gorbachev's way of eliminating the troublesome despot Nicolae Ceausescu.
> Through our sources cultivated in Bucharest and access to highly classified Central Intelligence Agency reports, we have learned that Moscow had a much more direct hand than previously revealed in the creation of the ruling Romanian party to replace the Ceausescu government, the National Salvation Front.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1991/09/22/s...
Re: Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution, 1989 – In Pictures
#10I was seven when velvet revolution happened. I remember few days later when my father come home from work, I went to the door to greet him. He stepped in, put his suitcase on the floor, looked at me and said: "Well, from now on they will not call me comrade but mister". That was revolution for me.
I was as grumpy kid as I am now adult, but I had quite reasonable parents. They would always asked me if I wanted to join some club activities or hobbies. Teacher thought I have musical ear so they asked me if I want to play saxophone. I said no. They asked me if I wanted to be a pioneer (state run scouts, every kid was member). I said no. And to my surprise my parents accepted it. I was the only one in my class who wasn't pioneer. But then people probably started to telling my parents that I could have problems later on if I don't became pioneer so parents started asking me to join. After a long while I finally agreed and started preparing for the pioneer entry exams. Then the revolution came and it all fell down. "What do you mean I cannot be pioneer?! I want to be a pioneer." I could understand when they told me that they no longer exists. I even refused to call teacher Mrs and kept calling her comrade but after a while kids started making fun of me so I eventually stopped. And I never became pioneer.