Pressures on USSR: the crisis in Czechoslovakia and the Brezhnev doctrine;…

The idea

The late 1960s presented severe pressures on the USSR. In Czechoslovakia, Alexander Dubček's 1968 'Prague Spring' introduced liberal reforms, threatening Soviet control over the Eastern Bloc. Fearing a domino effect, Warsaw Pact forces invaded in August 1968 to crush the movement. This crisis prompted the Brezhnev Doctrine, asserting the USSR's right to intervene in any socialist country where communist rule was threatened. Simultaneously, relations with China deteriorated sharply due to ideological disputes, culminating in the 1969 Sino-Soviet border conflict along the Ussuri River. These dual pressures forced the USSR to manage internal bloc dissent while facing a hostile rival, influencing its pursuit of détente with the West.

What earns the marks

• Explain the motivations behind the 'Prague Spring' and how Dubček's 'socialism with a human face' threatened Soviet hegemony.
• Analyse the justification provided by the Brezhnev Doctrine for the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.
• Evaluate the causes and consequences of the Sino-Soviet split, focusing on the 1969 Ussuri River border clashes.
• Assess how the dual pressures of Eastern Bloc instability and Chinese hostility motivated the USSR to pursue détente with the West.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing the Brezhnev Doctrine with the Truman Doctrine.

  Put it right: Ensure the Brezhnev Doctrine is defined as the Soviet policy justifying intervention in socialist states to protect communism, whereas the Truman Doctrine was the US policy of containment.

• Assuming the Prague Spring was an attempt to overthrow communism.

  Put it right: Clarify that Dubček sought to reform communism ('socialism with a human face'), not to abolish it or leave the Warsaw Pact.

• Treating the Sino-Soviet split as a purely ideological disagreement.

  Put it right: Highlight that while ideology was a factor, national security, border disputes, and competition for leadership of the communist world were equally significant.

Exam tips

• Link the Brezhnev Doctrine directly to the events in Czechoslovakia to demonstrate an understanding of cause and effect.
• Use the 1969 Ussuri River conflict as a concrete example of how ideological differences between the USSR and China escalated into military confrontation.
• When discussing pressures on the USSR, contrast the internal pressure from the Eastern Bloc with the external pressure from China to provide a balanced analysis.