On February 26, 1990, Czechoslovakian President Václav Havel, a central figure in the Velvet Revolution, traveled to Moscow to meet with Mikhail Gorbachev. Together, they signed an agreement outlining the complete withdrawal of Soviet troops from Czechoslovakia. On the same day, ITN crews captured historic footage as the first contingents of Red Army troops departed Czechoslovakia, marking the end of a military occupation that began with the Soviet suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968. Soviet leaders had previously referred to this presence as a “temporary deployment.”
The documentary juxtaposes this significant event with footage filmed two days earlier, on February 24, showing a rally led by Havel in Prague. This rally, held in the pre-democracy era, underscores the transformative period in Czechoslovakia’s history as it moved towards liberation from Soviet influence and embraced democratic reforms.
Add comment