Czechoslovakia under communism

Since the communist coup of February 1948, Czechoslovakia has been a single-party state closely aligned with Moscow. The 1950s brought Stalinist show trials, forced confessions, and executions. Antonín Novotný, First Secretary since 1953, resists de-Stalinisation and economic reform. By the mid-1960s, a stagnant economy and growing discontent among intellectuals, students, and Slovak party members are putting his hold on power under strain.