This is the first account in book form of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, describing in detail the events between August 21st and October 1st , 1968. Written by Colin Chapman, Foreign News Editor of London's Sunday's Times, the book tells the tragic and inspiring story of Czech defiance.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

In this biography of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937), the founder of the Czechoslovak republic, and of his son Jan Masaryk (1886-1948), who became foreign minister in the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in London during World War II, the author retraces their lives against the dramatic background of the history of Central and Eastern Europe. “Zeman is sympathetic to his subjects but completely honest in presenting them as men, not myths.” — John C. Campbell, Foreign Affairs “Dr. Zeman draws an interesting portrait of [T.G. Masaryk] the ‘scholar President’, an individualistic, curiously apolitical and yet far-sighted figure... The author has written a sound biography, at its best in the descriptions of Masaryk’s attempts to found the new state.” — Lisanne Radice, International Affairs “Zeman’s portrait of the Masaryks is engagingly written and may be profitably read by the non-specialist.” — Victor S. Mamatey, The American Historical Review

Originally published in 1988, this book assesses social and economic change against the background of the international economy and the dramatic political events of the twentieth century - the break up of the Habsburg Monarchy, the Peace Treaty of Versailles, the Munich Agreement of 1938 and the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, the occupation by Nazi Germany, the attempt to reconstruct a democratic Republic, the period of Stalinism and the 'Prague Spring' of 1968. Thus the book produces a balanced historical outline of the economy of Czechoslovakia between 1918 and 1980.