«Prague spring» or «color revolution»? (Evolution of the official evaluation of the Czechoslovak events in 1968)

Abstract

Aim. The purpose of this work is to analyze the evolution of the official assessment of the events that took place in Czechoslovakia in 1968.Methodology. The article examines the changes in the official interpretation of the 1968 Czechoslovak events that took place in the Soviet Union/Russia, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic and Slovakia), as well as their assessment in the United States. While carrying out the research, the methods of analysis, synthesis, the historical method and the method of comparative analysis were used.Results. In the course of the study, it was discovered that the evolution of the official assessment of the Czechoslovak events in 1968 was influenced by a number of objective and subjective factors. The official (political) assessment does not always take into account the specific historical situation of those events and addresses them from the standpoint of the present day, i.e., it is often opportunistic in nature.Research implications. The research results contribute to the theory and practice of the formation of an official assessment of historical events, allows to identify objective and subjective factors that influence the formation of this assessment.