Start Date
4-30-2026 10:35 AM
End Date
4-30-2026 11:45 AM
Disciplines
History
Abstract
This paper explores the influence of radio and free press during the Prague Spring and subsequent Soviet Union invasion of Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. After the Prague Spring, a brief period of growing freedom stemming from Alexander Dubček’s transition out of strict socialist censorship, the Soviet Union orchestrated a military invasion of the socialist satellite state. During this invasion, radio transmitters in Prague informed listeners that the invasion was against the Czechoslovak’s government’s will and instructed Czech and Slovak citizens to remain calm and protest nonviolently. By analyzing the emergence of the free press from the Prague Spring and the role of radio throughout the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, this paper illustrates the media's role as a critical method in the rapid spread of ideas, opinions, and news across borders and as a voice of liberation to this day.
Rights
Copyright 2026 Zucana Langer
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
The Prominent Voice of Cold War Era Radio: The 1968 Soviet Union Invasion of Czechoslovakia
This paper explores the influence of radio and free press during the Prague Spring and subsequent Soviet Union invasion of Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. After the Prague Spring, a brief period of growing freedom stemming from Alexander Dubček’s transition out of strict socialist censorship, the Soviet Union orchestrated a military invasion of the socialist satellite state. During this invasion, radio transmitters in Prague informed listeners that the invasion was against the Czechoslovak’s government’s will and instructed Czech and Slovak citizens to remain calm and protest nonviolently. By analyzing the emergence of the free press from the Prague Spring and the role of radio throughout the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, this paper illustrates the media's role as a critical method in the rapid spread of ideas, opinions, and news across borders and as a voice of liberation to this day.