Two Thousand Words

Czech political document

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July 14, 2026

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The "Two Thousand Words" was a manifesto published on June 27, 1968, by dissident writer Ludvík Vaculík. It was signed by many people from various walks of Czechoslovak life and urged mass action to demand real democracy. This document was a significant turning point in the Prague Spring reform movement. The Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact allies viewed the manifesto with alarm, fearing a counterrevolution. Despite assurances from Czechoslovak leaders, Soviet-led forces invaded Czechoslovakia on August 20, 1968, effectively ending the Prague Spring and initiating a period of "normalization" under Gustav Husák.12

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Věra Čáslavská
…1968 Čáslavská signed the “Two Thousand Words,” a document that called for more rapid progress toward real democracy in Czechoslovakia. After Soviet tanks entered Prague in August of that year, Čáslavská, facing possible arrest for her political stance, fled to the mountain village of Šumperk. She was granted permission…
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…1968 Čáslavská signed the “Two Thousand Words,” a document that called for more rapid progress toward real democracy in Czechoslovakia. After Soviet tanks entered Prague in August of that year, Čáslavská, facing possible arrest for her political stance, fled to the mountain village of Šumperk. She was granted permission…
Read More

Czechoslovak history
The Prague Spring of 1968
This document, dubbed the “Two Thousand Words” manifesto, constituted a watershed in the evolution of the Prague Spring: it urged mass action to demand real democracy. Though shocked by the proclamation, Dubček was convinced that he could control the transformation of Czechoslovakia.
Read More
This document, dubbed the “Two Thousand Words” manifesto, constituted a watershed in the evolution of the Prague Spring: it urged mass action to demand real democracy. Though shocked by the proclamation, Dubček was convinced that he could control the transformation of Czechoslovakia.
Read More