Minister Naď honours victims of Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď today honoured the victims of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia during a commemoration ceremony in Šafárik Square, Bratislava. He will also pay his tribute to them at the Warsaw Pact-occupied Czechoslovakia Victims Memorial in St Egidius Square, Poprad later today.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Today we remember the 52nd anniversary of the Soviet Army's invasion of former Czechoslovakia – this was a response to the then government's efforts to democratise the communist system, including the idea of putting Slovaks on an equal footing [with Czechs] in the State. Never ever should we forget those who lost their lives in the fight against the suppressive totalitarian regime.” He continued: “By remembering this event, we send a clear signal that we are not indifferent to the injustices and suppressive acts of the totalitarian regime, because the highest values we have in our society today are the universal values of freedom and democracy.”

The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, officially dubbed Operation Danube, was launched on the night of 20/21 August 1968. On the morning of 21 August 1968, an announcement by the Central Committee Chairmanship of the Czechoslovak Communist Party was aired at 5 minutes to 2am, informing the citizens of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. Warsaw Pact troops from Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland and East Germany participated in the invasion alongside soldiers of the Soviet Union.

The objective of the military intervention was to normalise the situation and halt the democratisation of Czechoslovak society. In the first two days alone, protests against the occupation forces claimed dozens of victims and hundreds of citizens were injured. The Warsaw Pact occupation of Czechoslovakia lasted well until 1991. To the Soviet troops, it took 16 months to pull out of the country.

Defence State Secretary Marian Majer will pay homage to the victims of the Warsaw Pact-occupied Czechoslovakia during a commemoration ceremony in Leopoldov on Saturday 22 August 2020.