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• 1 2021-07-06T09:06:39-07:00 Key Figures 6 Descriptions and photographs of key figures involved in the Prague Spring events, with links to relevant documents in Texas ScholarWorks. image_header 2024-03-25T11:31:21-07:00

  In the United States:
  
  Lyndon B. Johnson – As the President in office during the events of the Prague Spring, President Johnson played a pivotal role in the U.S. response to the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact forces, and many of the documents in this archival collection are addressed to him directly.
  
  Dean Rusk - The Secretary of State under President Johnson. Although his tenure was dominated by the Vietnam War, he also played a key role in the United States' handling of the invasion of Czechoslovakia following the Prague Spring.
  
  Walt Whitman Rostow – The Special Assistant for National Security Affairs to President Johnson, W.W. Rostow played a vital part in shaping how officials in the United States government viewed and responded to the Warsaw Pact forces' invasion of Czechoslovakia.
  
  Bromley K. Smith - A Consultant to the National Security Council during the Prague Spring and subsequent invasion of Czechoslovakia.
  
  Henry Kissinger - The National Security Advisor under President Johnson. Although primarily concerned with U.S. involvement in Vietnam, he also played an important role in the broader U.S. handling of the Cold War and pioneered détente with the Soviet Union.
  
  Jacob D. Beam - The United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia under President Johnson, Beam was present during the Prague Spring and subsequent invasion of Czechoslovakia. He thus served as a vital point of contact for the United States government as U.S. officials assessed the situation and decided on how best to respond.
  
  
  In Communist Countries:
  
  Each name links to the Prague Spring community in Texas ScholarWorks. To find documents related to one of the figures below, please search for their name using the search bar in the top right, then limit your results to the Documenting the Cold War collection.
  
  Leonid Brezhnev – The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during the Prague Spring and subsequent invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact forces.
  
  Anatoly Dobrynin - As the Soviet Ambassador to the United States during the Prague Spring and invasion of Czechoslovakia, Dobrynin played an important role in facilitating communication between the United States and the Soviet Union.
  
  Alexander Dubček – The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring. His efforts to reform the communist government in Czechoslovakia were halted when he was forced to resign following the invasion of Warsaw Pact forces.
  
  Antonín Novotný – The Stalinist President of Czechoslovakia from 1953 to 1968, he was forced to yield power to Alexander Dubček during the Prague Spring.
   
  Ludvik Svoboda - The President of Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring. He was elected on March 30th, 1968 with the support of Alexander Dubček.
  
  Nicolae Ceaușescu – The General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party during the Prague Spring and subsequent invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact Forces. 
  
  Walter Ulbricht – The Chairman of the State Council of the German Democratic Republic during the Prague Spring. Ulbricht played a key role in cooperation between East Germany and the Soviet Union.