The term Brezhnev Doctrine appeared outside the Soviet Union and came into use only after many years. The so-called foreign policy of the USSR in the reign of Brezhnev stretched from the 60s of the 20th century until 1990, when Gorbachev completely changed the course of his predecessor.
After World War II, all of Eastern Europe and part of central (Germany) came under the control of the USSR. Nominally, the countries of the socialist bloc, with the exception of Yugoslavia, were independent democracies, but the practice of relations with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics showed a completely different thing. Starting from 1945-1944, leaders who were proteges of the Soviet leadership came to power in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. With visible violent activity within the political sphere of these countries, the heads of the communist parties were completely dependent on leaders from Moscow. That was until 1968, when the young democratic reformer Alexander Dubcek appeared in Czechoslovakia, pursuing a broad liberal policy in his country until the federalization of Czechoslovakia.
Beginning of the implementation of the Brezhnev Doctrine
In the 1960s, a transition to the so-called "socialism with a human face" began in Czechoslovakia.
“Socialism with a human face” is an economic system that prioritizes the well-being of the people. Under such a system, military spending was significantly reduced.
The reforms carried out in Czechoslovakia did not suit the Soviet leadership. The official reason for the dissatisfaction was called a departure from the ideals of socialism, and Dubcek was accused of violating the principle that class proletarian consciousness was placed above the national one. Dubcek led Czechoslovakia along the path of independence from the USSR, introduced freedom of speech, movement and began administrative reform. After several months of Dubcek’s reforms, the USSR introduced troops into Czechoslovakia. This military operation went down in history called the Danube. August 21, 1968 can be considered the day of the appearance of the Brezhnev Doctrine - a method of military and economic coercion of the countries of the socialist bloc to follow the unquestioned leadership of the USSR. The Brezhnev doctrine implied open intervention in the internal affairs of Eastern European countries to impose its will primarily in the public sphere of state life. Since the events in Czechoslovakia in 1968, Soviet intelligence has harassed dissidents in Eastern Europe with the same stubbornness as in their homeland. The actions of the USSR, called by Western political scientists the Brezhnev Doctrine, originated long before the Prague Spring. So, back in 1956 Khrushchev suppressed the liberation movement in Hungary by military force, which required the departure of the pro-Soviet leadership of his country.
