Resources for teachers / Cold War (1947–1991)

Year 1968

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Year 1968

Explore the transformative events of 1968 in East Central Europe with ready-to-use country perspectives and an engaging introductory animation designed to help teachers bring this pivotal chapter of Cold War history to life.

Timeline of events

5 January 1968 – Alexander Dubček assumed leadership of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, launching a period of reform known as the Prague Spring.

8 March 1968 – Student protests began in Poland following the banning of the play Dziady (Forefathers’ Eve), marking the start of the events known as March 1968.

21 August 1968 – Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia to suppress the reforms of the Prague Spring.

21 August 1968 – Romania publicly condemned the Warsaw Pact intervention in Czechoslovakia.

16 October 1968 – Hungary’s New Economic Mechanism began reshaping the socialist economy through greater use of market-oriented mechanisms.

22 November 1968 – The Czechoslovak parliament approved the federalization of the state, creating the Czech Socialist Republic and the Slovak Socialist Republic.

The year 1968 was a turning point for East Central Europe, as demands for greater freedom, democracy, and individual rights challenged communist rule across the region. Inspired by wider global movements for social change, students, intellectuals, and reformers pushed for political and cultural reforms. The most significant developments included the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia, student protests in Poland, and Romania’s public opposition to the Warsaw Pact invasion. The military intervention that crushed the Prague Spring demonstrated both the limits of reform within the Soviet bloc and the growing desire of people across East Central Europe for greater political and social freedoms.

In this lesson, you will find:

Five PDF texts presenting different national perspectives on the events of 1968, ready to use with older students.
An inspiring and short animated overview that introduces the key events of 1968, providing an engaging and accessible starting point for classroom discussion and deeper exploration of this pivotal year.