The Czechoslovak Hockey Riots were a short lived series of protests, mildly violent on occasion (several people were injured), that took place in response to a World Championship game in 1969. A World Championship is any contest to determine the best in the world in a particular field. ...

After Soviet invasion into Czechoslovakia political ideals of Prague Spring were slowly but steadily replaced by politics of accommodation to demands of Soviet Union. People in Czechoslovakia, unable to find other ways to express their opinion, reacted with few very visible but ultimately ineffective manifestations of disagreement.

On March 21 and 28, 1969, the Czechoslovak national ice-hockey team beat the Soviet team in the first round of the World Championships in Stockholm. Throughout Czechoslovakia, possibly 500,000 fans crowded the streets of their cities to celebrate the win.^[1] In some places, particularly Prague, the celebrations turned to protests against the Soviet military who continued to occupy the country after the Warsaw Pact invasion the previous August. While the majority of these demonstrations were peaceful, some turned violent as protesters attacked Soviet military units. In Prague, protesters ransacked the Soviet Aeroflot office, though some have suggested they were encouraged by State Security agents. Motto: Czech: Pravda vítÄ›zí (Truth prevails; 1918-1989) Latin: Veritas Vincit (Truth prevails; 1989-1992) Anthem(s): Kde domov můj and Nad Tatrou sa blýska Capital Prague Largest city Prague Czech, Slovak Government Republic  - Last President Jan Stráský (1992)  - Last Prime Minister Jan Strásk... Two defencemen and a goaltender guard their goal. ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Soviet republics Area  - Total  - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 km² Approx. ... The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. ...   (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ... Prague (Czech: Praha (IPA: ), see also other names) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. ... A Red Army is a communist army. ... Unofficial Seal of the Warsaw Pact Distinguish from the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement among airlines about financial liability. ... Aeroflot Airbus A319 at Berlin Aeroflot — Russian Airlines (Russian:Аэрофлот — Российские авиалинии), or Aeroflot (Аэрофло́т; literally air fleet), is the Russian national airline and the biggest carrier in Russia. ... In former Czechoslovakia, State Security (Czech: Státní bezpečnost, Slovak: Å tátna bezpečnosÅ¥) or StB / Å tB, was a plainclothes secret police force from 1945 to its dissolution in 1990. ...

The protests were suppressed by Czechoslovak military and police, now under full control of the hardliners from the Communist Party. The events were used as a pretext to oust remaining leaders symbolizing Prague Spring from power. Among them, Alexander Dubček was forced to resign as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, to be replaced by Gustáv Husák who started politics of "normalisation". Alexander Dubček in 1968. ... The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana ÄŒeskoslovenska (KSÄŒ) was a political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992. ... Gustáv Husák (January 10, 1913 Dúbravka (today part of Bratislava) - November 18, 1991 Bratislava) was a Slovak politician, a long-term Communist leader of Czechoslovakia and of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and 1980s. ... In the history of Czechoslovakia, normalization is a name commonly given to the period 1969 to about 1987. ...

No active protests against presence of Soviet troops had occurred afterwards, the society became entirely passive and accommodated the situation. During years of normalisation citizens of Czechoslovakia saw hockey matches with Soviet Union as quiet, symbolic way of protest. Police forces were regularly set on alert but never got a chance to be used.

See also

Prague Spring People in a café watch Soviet tanks roll past The Prague Spring (Czech: Pražské jaro, Slovak: Pražská jar, Russian: пражская весна) was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia starting January 5, 1968 when Alexander Dubček came to power, and running until August 20 of that year when the...

Notes

1. ^ Williams, Kieran (1997). The Prague spring and its aftermath : Czechoslovak politics, 1968-1970. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-58803-0.