Czechoslovakia: Velvet Revolution

1. What methods did the group(s) use to express their frustrations and ultimately lead to the revolution? Czechoslovakia was formerly a democratic republic. However, when Germany annexed Sudetenland, the connection between Czech, Slovak and Romania loosened. As the connection between Czech and Slovak loosened, a de-facto split into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the Slovak Republic. In the year 1945, the republic governed by a coalition government with a communist government. Therefore, during the time when the communist government, governed the republic Czech and Slovak became a Socialist Republic and develop into a communist country. Through out the period of time when the communist government ruled the country, the public were not happy about they way the government ruled the country because they demanded for a democratic government. This demand lee the public to make a revolution called ‘Velvet Revolution’. Velvet revolution is a non-violence revolution because in this revolution there was no war, the people only made a demonstration to overthrow the communist government regime. It actually began when students at two universities, one from Czech and another one from Slovak started a demonstration in support of the Nazi party, but ended up leading to huge public protests against the Czechoslovakia communist government. 2. How is your revolution similar and/or different to one of the revolutions previously studied? Velvet Revolution is different from the American Revolution because in the American Revolution, the people are fighting for independence from the British but there is one similarity about the American Revolution with the Velvet Revolution, which is that they don’t like the way the government rule. The French Revolution is quite similar to the Velvet Revolution because the public isn’t happy about the political and social system; the Velvet Revolution had some mild kills such as children protesting in the streets would be killed. In the same time the French had something’s similar but with important people like King Louis XVI and his wife Maria Antoinette. There are also some differences with the Velvet Revolution because in the French Revolution there was more violence in the revolution. Velvet Revolution is similar to the Philippine Revolution because in the Philippine Revolution, the public wanted to overthrow their first elected president, President Ferdinand Marcos because they dislike the way he ruled the Philippine. 3. What was the eventual outcome of the revolution, and did the nation/people become better due to the revolution? As a result of the Velvet Revolution, the Czechoslovakia’s parliament voted to split the country into Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czechoslovakia’s parliament voted during the Federal Assembly, on November 25, 1992. Two months after the Federal Assembly, the country is officially split into two on January 1st 1993. Now a days, the people become much better and satisfied due to the government. 4. Was the revolution justified? Would other methods have worked The revolution was justified because the people wanted to overthrow the communist government to be able to start their own countries in each area in peace without having to deal with many complaints about what the want to do and what the other wants to do. In regards to this, they were able to overthrow the communist government and turn Czechoslovakia into two different countries. They are now known as Czech Republic and Slovakia. The other method that might have worked for this revolution was to have a neutral president and also his cabinet. This would of lead to having peaceful state and be able to hear the words of both citizens of Czechoslovakia. Another one related to this would have been to have a neutral president but his cabinet could be one from the Czech’s and one from the Slovaks. It would look like the cabinets were mayors in most countries today, or like the states have a governor. 5. Briefly state whether or not your revolution follows Crane Brinton's Stages of the Revolution. The Velvet Revolution doesn’t follow Crane Brinton’s Stages of the Revolution because in the first stage the middle class rebel against the economy and an ineffective government. In the second stage they didn’t form a new government they split the country into two parts Czech Republic and Slovak. In the revolution the communist government is out of power and new country governments are made. They’re both NOT fragile governments. In the third stage, it doesn’t follow because the government is a communist government and not a democratic government. This revolution was more on people power revolution because it is all about the talk and to change the government to be able to split the country into two. As for the fourth stage of the Crane Brinton’s stages of Revolution, there are some similarities that agree to his stage but then one out of place which is the people of Czech and Slovakia didn’t get punished which is necessary in his stage Bibliography: "Panic! on the Streets of Prague." 28 January 2008 . "Velvet Revolution." History of Czechoslovakia(1989-1992) 25 November 2007 28 January 2008 . "Velvet Revolution." Velvet Revolution 23 January 2008 28 January 2008 . William H. Luers. "Czechoslovakia: Road to Revolution." 28 January 2008 .