The Velvet Revolution (Czech Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian until the late 19th century in English. Czech is similar to and mutually intelligible with Slovak and, to a lesser extent, to Polish and Sorbian: sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution (Slovak The Slovak language ( slovenský jazyk , slovenčina, not to be confused with slovenski jezik, slovenščina, or Slovenian), is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages (together with Czech, Polish, Silesian, Kashubian, and Sorbian): nežná revolúcia) (November 17 – December 29, 1989) was a non-violent revolution A nonviolent revolution is a revolution using mostly nonviolent protest against governments seen as entrenched and authoritarian to advocate democracy, liberalism or national independence in their nation. Nonviolent revolution is possible despite the controlling government taking brutal measures against protesters; the commonly held belief that in Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992. From 1939 to 1945 the state did not have de facto existence, due to its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, but the Czechoslovak that saw the overthrow of the authoritarian Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is opposed to individualism and democracy. In politics, an authoritarian government is one in which political power is concentrated in a leader or leaders, typically unelected, who possess exclusive, unaccountable, and arbitrary power government.^[1]

On November 17, 1989, a Friday, riot police suppressed a peaceful student demonstration Student activism is work done by students to effect political, environmental, economic, or social change. It has often focused on making changes in schools, such as increasing student influence over curriculum or improving educational funding. In some settings, student groups have had a major role in broader political events in Prague Prague (pronounced /ˈprɑːɡ/; Czech: Praha pronounced [ˈpraɦa] , see also other names) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Nicknames for Prague have included Praga mater urbium/Praha matka měst ("Prague – Mother of Cities") in Latin/Czech, Stověžatá Praha ("City of a Hundred Spires") in Czech or. That event sparked a series of popular demonstrations from November 19 to late December. By November 20 the number of peaceful protesters A protest expresses a strong reaction of events or situations. The term protest usually now implies a reaction against something, while previously it could also mean a reaction for something. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly and forcefully making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government assembled in Prague had swollen from 200,000 the previous day to an estimated half-million. A two-hour general strike A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants. It is also characterized by participation of workers in a multitude of, involving all citizens of Czechoslovakia, was held on November 27.

With the collapse of other Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Treaty is the informal name for the mutual defense Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance commonly known as the Warsaw Pact subscribed by eight communist states in Eastern Europe, which was established at the USSR’s initiative and realized on 14 May 1955, in Warsaw, Poland governments and increasing street protests, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992 announced on November 28 that it would relinquish power and dismantle the single-party state A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election. Sometimes the term de facto single-party state is used to describe a dominant-party system where laws or practices prevent the. Barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand(s). It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property. It is also a major feature of the fortifications in trench warfare (as a wire obstacle) and other obstructions were removed from the border with West Germany and Austria in early December. On December 10, President Gustáv Husák Gustáv Husák was a Slovak politician, president of Czechoslovakia and a long-term Communist leader of Czechoslovakia and of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (1969-1987). His rule is known as the period of Normalization after the Prague Spring appointed the first largely non-communist Communism is a sociopolitical structure that aims for a classless and stateless society with the communal ownership of property government in Czechoslovakia since 1948, and resigned. Alexander Dubček Alexander Dubček was a Slovak politician and briefly leader of Czechoslovakia (1968–1969), famous for his attempt to reform the Communist regime (Prague Spring). Later, after the overthrow of the authoritarian government in 1989, he was Chairman of the federal Czecho-Slovak parliament was elected speaker of the federal parliament on December 28 and Václav Havel Václav Havel ([ˈvaːtslaf ˈɦavɛl] ) (born 5 October 1936 in Czechoslovakia) is a Czech playwright, essayist, former dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia (1989–92) and the first President of the Czech Republic (1993–2003). He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated the President of Czechoslovakia on December 29, 1989.

In June 1990 Czechoslovakia held its first democratic Democracy is a political form of government where governing power is derived from the people, either by direct referendum or by means of elected representatives of the people (representative democracy). The term comes from the Greek: δημοκρατία - (dēmokratía) "rule of the people", which was coined from δῆμος (dêmos) & elections An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the executive and judiciary, and for regional and local since 1946 Parliamentary elections were held in Czechoslovakia on May 26, 1946. They were the last elections in Czechoslovakia, before Communists took power in 1948. The result of this election enabled them to a great extent to do so.

The term Velvet Revolution was used internationally to describe the revolution, although the Czech side also used the term internally. After the dissolution of the nation The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalization, become immediate subjects of the international law in 1993. It in 1993, Slovakia The Slovak Republic (short form: Slovakia /sloʊˈvɑːkiə/ ; Slovak: Slovensko (help·info), long form Slovenská republika (help·info)) is a state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi). Slovakia is a landlocked country bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria used the term Gentle Revolution, the term that Slovaks used for the revolution from the beginning. The Czech Republic The Czech Republic (pronounced /ˈtʃɛk/ chek; Czech: Česká republika, pronounced [ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka] ( listen), short form Česko [ˈtʃɛskɔ]) is a country in Central Europe. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The Czech Republic has been a continues to refer to the event as the Velvet Revolution.

Political situation prior to the revolution

The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992 began its rule on February 25, 1948. No official opposition parties operated within the government during the party's rule. Dissidents A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement (notably Charter 77 Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in communist Czechoslovakia from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Václav Havel, Jan Patočka, Zdeněk Mlynář, Jiří Hájek, and Pavel Kohout. Spreading the text of the document was considered as a political crime. After the 1989) published home-made periodicals (samizdat Samizdat was a key form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents from reader to reader, thus building a foundation for the successful resistance of the 1980s. This grassroots practice to evade officially-imposed censorship was fraught with danger as harsh), but they faced persecution by the secret police Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy to protect the power and authority of a political regime or state. Thus, the general public was afraid to openly support the dissidents for fear of dismissal from work or school. A writer or film maker could have his/her books or films banned for a "negative attitude towards the 'socialist' regime." This blacklisting A blacklist is a list or register of persons who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle. Conversely, a whitelist is a list or compilation also included categories such as being a child of a former entrepreneur or non-Communist politician, having family members living in the West, having supported Alexander Dubček Alexander Dubček was a Slovak politician and briefly leader of Czechoslovakia (1968–1969), famous for his attempt to reform the Communist regime (Prague Spring). Later, after the overthrow of the authoritarian government in 1989, he was Chairman of the federal Czecho-Slovak parliament during the Prague Spring The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Slovak Alexander Dubček came to power, and continued until 21 August when the Soviet Union and members of its Warsaw Pact allies invaded the country to, opposing Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR, Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik IPA: [sɐˈjʊs sɐˈvʲeʦkʲɪx səʦɪəlʲɪˈstʲiʨɪskʲɪx rʲɪsˈpʊblʲɪk] , abbreviated СССР, SSSR), informally known as the Soviet Union ( military occupation From the second half of the 1700's onwards, international law has come to distinguish between the military occupation of a country and territorial acquisition by invasion and annexation, the difference between the two being originally expounded upon by Emerich de Vattel in The Law of Nations . The distinction then became clear and has been, promoting religion, boycotting rigged parliamentary elections or signing the Charter 77 or associating with those who did. These rules were easy to enforce, as all schools, media and businesses belonged to the state. They were under direct supervision and often were used as accusatory weapons against political and social rivals.

The nature of blacklisting changed gradually after the introduction of Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: Михаил Сергеевич Горбачёв Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov [mʲɪxɐˈil sʲɪrˈɡʲeɪvʲɪtɕ ɡərbɐˈtɕof] ; born 2 March 1931) is the former seventh and last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until 1991, and the last head of state of's policies of Glasnost Glasnost (Russian: Гла́сность, IPA: [ˈɡlasnəsʲtʲ] , Openness) was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of the 1980s (openness) and Perestroika Perestroika (Russian: Перестройка) was a political movement within the Communist Party of Soviet Union widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Its literal meaning is "restructuring", referring to the restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system (restructuring) in 1985. The Czechoslovak Communist leadership verbally supported Perestroika, but did little to institute real changes. Speaking about the Prague Spring of 1968 was still taboo. The first anti-government demonstrations occurred in 1988 (the Candle Demonstration, for example) and 1989, but these were dispersed and participants were repressed by the police.

By the late 1980s, discontent with living standards and economic inadequacy gave way to popular support for economic reform. Czech and Slovak citizens began to challenge the governmental system more openly. By 1989, citizens who had been complacent in their official or professional capacities were now willing to openly express their discontent with the regime. Numerous important figures as well as common workers signed petitions in support of Vaclav Havel Václav Havel ( [ˈvaːtslaf ˈɦavɛl] ) (born 5 October 1936 in Prague, the Czech Republic) is a Czech playwright, essayist, former dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia (1989–92) and the first President of the Czech Republic (1993–2003). He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction during his 1989 imprisonment. Reform-minded attitudes were also reflected by the many individuals who signed a petition that circulated in the summer of 1989 calling for the end of censorship and the beginning of drastic political reform.^[2]

The actual impetus for the revolution came not only from the developments in neighboring countries but also in the Czechoslovakian capital. In the days following November 3, thousands of East Germans The German Democratic Republic - GDR was the socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany and in the East Berlin portion of the Allied-occupied capital city. The German Democratic Republic, which consisted geographically of northeast Germany rather than all of eastern Germany, had an area of 107,771 km2. (41,610 mi.2), left their country by taking a train to Prague and then another train to West Germany West Germany is the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) in the period between its formation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990. This period, during which Germany and Berlin were divided, ended when communist East Germany was dissolved and its five states joined the. On November 9, the Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting August 13, 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip& fell, removing the need for the detour.

By November 16, many of Czechoslovakia's neighbours were beginning to shed authoritarian Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is opposed to individualism and democracy. In politics, an authoritarian government is one in which political power is concentrated in a leader or leaders, typically unelected, who possess exclusive, unaccountable, and arbitrary power rule. The citizens of Czechoslovakia watched these events daily on TV through both foreign and domestic signals. The Soviet Union also supported a change in the ruling elite of Czechoslovakia, although it did not anticipate the overthrow of the Communist regime.

Chronology of the first week

Thursday, November 16, 1989

On the eve of International Students Day (the 50th anniversary of death of Jan Opletal, a Czech student murdered by the German occupiers during World War II Albania · Australia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belgium · Brazil · Bulgaria · Burma · Cambodia · Canada · Ceylon (Sri Lanka) · Channel Islands · China · Czechoslovakia · Denmark · Dutch East Indies · Egypt · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Greenland · Hong Kong · Hungary · Iceland ·), Slovak high school and university students organized a peaceful demonstration in the center of Bratislava Bratislava (German: Pressburg , Hungarian: Pozsony) is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 429,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries, Bratislava and. The Communist Party of Slovakia had expected trouble and the mere fact that there was a demonstration was a problem in Communist countries. Armed forces were put on alert before the demonstration. In the end, however, the students moved through the city peacefully and finally sent a delegation to the Slovak Ministry of Education to discuss their demands.

Friday, November 17, 1989

New movements led by Václav Havel came into being that stood for a united society with a demand that the state politically restructure.^[3] The Socialist Union of Youth (SSM/SZM, proxy of Communist Party of Czechoslovakia The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992) organized a mass demonstration to commemorate International Students Day, and the fiftieth anniversary of the murder of students by the Nazi government.^[3]

Most members of SSM had privately been in opposition to the Communist leadership, but had been afraid of speaking up for fear of persecution. This demonstration gave average students an opportunity to join others and express their opinions without fear. By 16:00, about 15,000 people had joined the demonstration. They walked to Opletal's grave and - after the official end of the march - continued into downtown Prague (map), carrying banners and chanting anti-Communist slogans. At about 19:30, the demonstrators were stopped by a cordon of riot police at Národní Street. They had blocked all escape routes and beat the students. Once all the protesters were dispersed, one of the participants - secret police agent Ludvík Zifčák - kept lying on the street, posing as dead, and was later taken away. It is not clear why he did it, but the rumor of the "dead student" was perhaps critical for the shape of further events. That same evening, students and theatre actors agreed to go on strike.

Saturday, November 18

Two students visited Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec at his private residence and described to him what (really) happened at Národní Street. The declaration of the strike at the Realistic Theatre in Prague occurred, and other theatres quickly followed. The theatres opened their stages only for public discussions.^[3] At the initiative of students from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, the students in Prague began a strike. Gradually, this strike was joined by university students throughout Czechoslovakia. The students were supported by the theatre employees and actors in Prague, both of whom had also gone on strike. Instead of playing, actors read a proclamation by the students and artists to the audience, that called for a general strike on November 27.^[3] Home-made posters and proclamations were posted in public places. As all media (radio, TV, newspapers) were strictly controlled by the Communist Party (see Mass media in Communist Czechoslovakia), this was the only way to spread the message. In the evening, Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. RFE/RL is supervised by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, a bipartisan federal reported that a student (named as Martin Šmíd) was killed by the police during the previous day's demonstration. Although the report was false, it heightened the feeling of crisis, and ^[3] persuaded some hesitant citizens to overcome their fear and join the protests.

Sunday, November 19

Theatres in Bratislava, Brno, Ostrava and other towns also went on strike, following the example of their colleagues from Prague. Members of artistic and literary associations as well as organizations and institutions joined the strikes. Members of a civic initiative met with the Prime Minister, who told them that he had been prohibited twice from resigning his post, and that if they wanted to achieve changes, there would have to be mass demonstrations like those in East Germany (some 250,000 students). He also asked them to keep the number of "casualties" during the expected changes to a minimum. About 500 Slovak artists, scientists and leaders met at the Art Forum (Umelecká beseda) in Bratislava at 17:00. They denounced the attack against the students in Prague on November 17 and formed the Public Against Violence, which would become the leading force behind the opposition movement in Slovakia. Its founding members included Milan Kňažko, Ján Budaj and others.

Actors and members of the audience in a Prague theatre, together with Václav Havel and other prominent members of Charter 77 and other dissident organizations, established the Civic Forum (Public Against Violence for the territory of the Czech Republic) as a mass popular movement for reforms, at 22:00. They called for the dismissal of top officials responsible for the violence, and an independent investigation of the incident and the release of all political prisoners. College students announced a strike. On television, government officials called for peace and a return to the city's normal business. The television aired an interview with Martin Šmíd to persuade the public that nobody had been killed; the quality of the recording was low and rumors continued. It would take several more days to confirm that nobody had been killed and, by then, the revolution had gained further momentum.

The leaders of the Democratic Initiative presented several demands: 1) the resignation of the government, effective November 25; 2) the formation of a temporary government composed of noncompromised members of the current government.^[4]

Monday, November 20

Students and theatres went on permanent strike. Police stopped a demonstration from continuing toward Prague Castle, which would have infiltrated the striking theatres.^[3] Civic Forum representatives negotiated unofficially with Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec without Václav Havel. Adamec was sympathetic to the students' demands. However, he was outvoted in a special cabinet meeting the same day and the government, in an official statement, refused to make any concessions. Civic Forum added another demand: the abolition of the "ruling position" of the Communist Party from the Constitution. Non-Communist newspapers started publishing information which contradicted the Communist interpretation. The first mass demonstration in Prague (100,000 people) and the first demonstrations in Bratislava occurred.

Tuesday, November 21

The first official meeting of the Civic Forum with the Prime Minister took place. The Prime Minister said he would personally guarantee that no violence would be used against the people; however he would "protect socialism, about which no discussion is possible".^[3] An organized mass demonstration took place in Wenceslas Square in downtown Prague (demonstrations were held there throughout the following days). Actors and students traveled to factories inside and outside Prague to gain support for their colleagues in other cities.

A mass demonstration took place in Hviezdoslav Square in downtown Bratislava (in the following days, it moved to the Square of the Slovak National Uprising). The students presented various demands and asked the people to participate in the general strike planned for Monday, November 27. A separate demonstration demanding the release of the political prisoner Ján Čarnogurský (the later Prime Minister of Slovakia) took place in front of the Palace of Justice. Alexander Dubček delivered an address at this demonstration–his first appearance during the Velvet Revolution. As a result, Čarnogurský was released on November 23. Further demonstrations in all major cities of Czechoslovakia.

Cardinal František Tomášek, the Catholic primate of the Czech lands, declared his support for the students, and issued a declaration in which he criticized the current government's policies and their effect on all of Czechoslovakia. For the first time during the Velvet Revolution, the "radical" demand to abolish the article of the Constitution establishing the "leading role" of the Communist Party was expressed by Ľubomír Feldek at a meeting of Public Against Violence. It was spontaneously supported by the popular demonstration on November 25 and finally accepted by the Communist Party of Slovakia on November 26.

In the evening, Miloš Jakeš, the chairman of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, held a special address on Federal Television. He said that order had to be preserved, that socialism was the only alternative for Czechoslovakia and criticized groups that stood behind the development in Czechoslovakia. Government officials, especially the Head of the Communist Party Miloš Jakeš, kept their hard-line position and seemed increasingly out of touch. During the night, they had summoned 4,000 members of the "People's Militias" (Lidové milice, a paramilitary organization subordinated directly to the Communist Party) to Prague to crush the protests, but they were called off at the last moment.

Wednesday, November 22

Civic Forum announced a two-hour general strike for Monday November 27. The first live reports from the demonstration in Wenceslas Square appeared on Federal Television (they were quickly cut off, after one of the participants denounced the present government in favor of Alexander Dubček). Striking students forced the representatives of the Slovak government and of the Communist Party of Slovakia to participate in a dialogue, in which the official representatives were immediately put on the defensive. Employees of the Slovak section of the Federal Television required the leaders of the Federal Television to provide true information on the events in the country; otherwise they would initiate a strike of TV employees. Uncensored live reports from demonstrations in Bratislava followed.

Thursday, November 23

Evening news showed factory workers heckling Miroslav Štěpán, the Prague Communist Secretary, who was popularly viewed as the most loathed politician in the country. The military informed the Communist leadership of its readiness to act (ultimately, it was never used against demonstrators). The military and the Ministry of Defense were preparing for actions against the opposition. Immediately after the meeting, however, the Minister of Defense delivered a TV address, in which he said the army would never undertake action against the Czechoslovak people and called for an end of the demonstrations.

Friday, November 24

Miloš Jakeš was replaced by puppet politician Karel Urbánek as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Federal Television showed pictures from November 17 for the first time and the first television address of Václav Havel, dealing mostly with the planned general strike. Czechoslovak TV and Radio announced that they would join the general strike. A discussion with representatives of the opposition was broadcast by the Slovak section of the Federal Television. It was the first free discussion on Czechoslovak television since its beginnings. As a result, the editorial staff of Slovak newspapers started to join the opposition.

Saturday, November 25

The new Communist leadership held a press conference. It immediately lost credibility by keeping Miroslav Štěpán, leaving Ladislav Adamec out and not addressing any of the demands. Later that day, Štěpán resigned from his position as the Prague Secretary. The number of participants in the regular anti-government demonstration in Prague reached an estimated 800,000 people. Demonstrations in Bratislava reached their highest number of participants at around 100,000.

Sunday, November 26

Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec met with Václav Havel for the first time. The editorial staff of Slovakia's Pravda, the central newspaper of the Communist Party of Slovakia, joined the opposition.

Monday, November 27

A successful two-hour general strike led by the civic movements strengthened what were at first a moderate set of demands into cries for a new government.^[4] It took place throughout the country between 12:00 and 14:00, supported by a reported 75% of population. The Ministry of Culture released anti-Communist literature for public checkouts in libraries, which effectively ended censorship. Civic Forum demonstrated its capacity to disrupt the political order and thereby establish itself as the legitimate voice of the nation in negotiations with the state.^[3] The civic movements were successful in mobilizing support for the general strike because their anti-political claims offered another option to the political experiences of Czechs and Slovaks under Communist rule, while their claim to represent citizens against an illegitimate state could incorporate challengers.^[4]

Open questions

Not all the events of the Velvet Revolution have been satisfactorily explained. For over a decade conspiracy theorists tried to portray it as the result of a plot by the StB, KGB, reformists among party members, or Gorbachev. According to these theories, the Communist party only transformed its power into other, less visible forms and still controls society. Belief in such theories has decreased, but well-known individuals such as KGB defector Anatoliy Golitsyn and Czech dissident (and former friend of Václav Havel) Petr Cibulka still contend that the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia was staged by the Communist StB secret police.

The most contentious points were:

• It is not clear to what extent events were spontaneous or orchestrated by the secret police. For example, the incident with the "dead student" was staged by secret police provocateur Ludvík Zifčák and assisted by other secret agents (those who took him to the hospital and initially disseminated the rumor). Zifčák is currently a chairman of the "Communist Party of Czechoslovakia", a non-parliamentary group willing to re-establish a Communist regime, with popular support below 1%, and rejects all inquiries relating to his role in the revolution.
• The Army and People's Militia were ready to attack the demonstrators, but did not receive orders to do so.
• Secret police carried out surveillance on all the leaders of the revolution and had the ability to arrest them. However, they did not do so and let the revolution progress.
• A Soviet military advisor was present in the control center of the police force, which beat the demonstrators on November 17. Supposedly, he did not intervene, but his role is unclear.

It is assumed that there was a split between different factions of the Communist leadership (namely, reform Communists anxious to replace those afraid of any change) and some of them tried to use the popular unrest to promote their agendas – ultimately ending Communist rule.

Summary of the Revolution

The events of November 1989 confirmed that outside factors were significant catalysts for the downfall of Communism in Czechoslovakia. Therefore, the transformations in Poland and Hungary and the collapse of the regime in East Germany, both of which could be traced to the new attitude of the Soviets toward East Europe, encouraged Czechs and Slovaks to take to the streets to win their freedom. However, national factors, including the economic and political crisis and the actions of groups and individuals working towards a transformation, destabilized support for the system.^[5] The state’s reaction to the strikes triggered by the suppression of student protests demonstrated that while global isolation produced pressures for political, social, and economic change, the events that followed could not be determined. Hardly anyone thought that the fearsome state could collapse so quickly. Striking students and theaters did not seem to intimidate a state that was able to repress any sort of demonstration. The state seemed to overpower any possible opponent with its control over the army and police and national network of party structures. This concluded the "popular" phase of the revolution, with many public demonstrations. The following victories, were made possible by the Civic Forum’s successful mobilization for the general strike on November 27, 1989, which established its authority to speak for the nation in negotiations with the state.^[3] The mass demonstrations that followed on November 17 led to the resignation of the conservative Communist party leadership of Milos Jakes, the removal of the party from its leading role and the creation of the country’s first non-Communist government in 41 years. Since the fall of Communism took only a few weeks in Czechoslovakia, supporters of the revolution had to take instant responsibility for running the government, in addition to establishing essential reforms in political organization and values, economic structure and policies, and foreign policy.^[6]

Shortly After

The victory of the revolution was topped off by the election of rebel playwright and human rights activist, Vaclav Havel, as President of the republic. Free elections held in June 1990 legitimized this government and set the stage for the changes needed to deal with the remnants of the Communist party’s power and the legacy of the Communist period on popular values and expectations. The new government also had to deal with the accumulated social, environmental and other problems that were the result of Communist rule for forty years. Changes were needed to strengthen democratic government, restructure the economy and rebuild the country’s external economic and political relations. The main threat to political stability and the success of Czechoslovakia’s shift to democracy was likely to come from ethnic conflicts between the Czechs and the Slovaks, which resurfaced in the post-Communist period.^[7] However, there was a general consensus to move toward a market economy, so in early 1990, the President and his top economic advisors decided to move ahead quickly to liberalize prices, push demonopolization, and privatize the economy. The outcome of the transition to democracy and a market economy would depend on the extent to which developments outside the country facilitated or hindered the process of change.^[5]

Symbolism

One symbolic element of the demonstrations of the Velvet Revolution was the jingling of keys, to symbolize the unlocking of doors.^[8][9] A commemorative 2 Euro coin was issued by Slovakia on 17 November 2009, to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. The coin depicts a bell with a key adjoining the clapper, reflecting the symbolic role of keys in the revolution.^[10] Ursula LeGuin wrote a short story, "Unlocking the Air," in which the jingling of keys played a central role in the liberation of a fictional country, Orsinia.

See also

• Civic Forum and Public Against Violence (political movements that played major role in the revolution)
• Revolutions of 1989
• Dissolution of Czechoslovakia (peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia few years later)
• Eastern Bloc emigration and defection

References

1. ^ RP's History Online - Velvet Revolution
2. ^ Wolchik, Sharon L. “Czechoslovakia's ‘Velvet Revolution.’” 1990. Current History. 89:413-416,435-437. Retrieved March 11, 2009
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Glenn, John K. “Competing Challengers and Contested Outcomes to State Breakdown: The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia”. September 1999. Social Forces. 78:187-211. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
4. ^ ^{a b c} Shepherd, Robin H.E. (2000). Czechoslovakia" The Velvet Revolution and Beyond. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, Inc.
5. ^ ^{a b} Wolchik, Sharon L. “Czechoslovakia's ‘Velvet Revolution.’” 1990. Current History. 89:413-416,435-437. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
6. ^ Wolchik, Sharon L. “Czechoslovakia's ‘Velvet Revolution.’” 1990. Current History. 89:413-416,435-437. Retrieved March 11, 2009 (h)
7. ^ Holy, Ladislav (1996). The Little Czech and The Great Czech Nation: National identity and the post-communist transformation of society. Cambridge, Great Britain: Cambride University Press.
8. ^ Havel at Columbia: The Velvet Revolution
9. ^ "Today, at exactly noon in Prague, people flooded into the streets around Wenceslas Square, the central shopping thoroughfare, rattling key chains and tinkling tiny bells. The jingling of keys, acts symbolizing the opening of hitherto locked doors, has become a common gesture in the wave of demonstrations.... On Jungmanova Square, Mr. Havel himself stood beaming broadly on the balcony of a building.... He lustily jingled a bunch of keys." John Tagliabue, "Upheaval in the East; From All Czechoslovakia, a Joyful Noise," The New York Times, Dec. 12, 1989.
10. ^ Slovakia 2009 2 Euro Comm.- New image

Notes

• Kukral, Michael Andrew. Prague 1989: Theater of Revolution. New York: Columbia University Press. 1997. ISBN 0-88033-369-3.
• Glenn, John K. “Competing Challengers and Contested Outcomes to State Breakdown: The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia”. September 1999. Social Forces. 78:187-211. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
• Holy, Ladislav (1996). The Little Czech and The Great Czech Nation: National identity and the post-communist transformation of society. Cambridge, Great Britain: Cambride University Press.
• Shepherd, Robin H.E. (2000). Czechoslovakia" The Velvet Revolution and Beyond. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, Inc..
• Wolchik, Sharon L. “Czechoslovakia's ‘Velvet Revolution.’” 1990. Current History. 89:413-416,435-437. Retrieved March 11, 2009.

Further reading

• Kukral, Michael Andrew. Prague 1989: Theater of Revolution. New York: Columbia University Press. 1997. ISBN 0-88033-369-3.
• Tauchen, Jaromír - Schelle, Karel etc.: The Process of Democratization of Law in the Czech Republic (1989–2009). Rincon (USA), The American Institute for Central European Legal Studies 2009. 204 pp. (ISBN 978-0-615-31580-5)

External links

• The Velvet Philosophical Revolution, City Journal, Winter 2010
• Velvet Revolution on totalita.cz Detailed day-to-day history with key documents quoted (in Czech language only). Shortened version was used as a source for Chronology above.
• Velvet Revolution on Prague-life A shortened version of the Velvet Revolution.
• In the footsteps of November 17 - Czech.cz
• After the Velvet, the Existential Revolution? dialogue between Václav Havel and Adam Michnik, English, salon.eu.sk, November 2008
• The Velvet Oratorio An oratorio based on the events of the Velvet Revolution
• Velvet Revolution Diary English translation of an authentic diary of a student participating in the revolution plus scans of US articles from that time

Categories: Velvet Revolution | 1989 in Czechoslovakia | History of Czechoslovakia | Nonviolent revolutions | Democratic transitions | Revolutions of 1989 | Protests | 20th-century revolutions

See Also:

• Revolution: Encyclopedia
• Rose Revolution: Encyclopedia
• Orange Revolution: Encyclopedia
• Singing Revolution: Encyclopedia
• Society: Politics: Revolution: Directory

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