After the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, people experienced the infamous "normalization" period until 1989. The Communist house of cards started to fall apart as a result of new politics in Soviet Union. After the Velvet Revolution, clashes between the Czechs and Slovaks seemed to be unbearable to continue forward together. Czech Republic and Slovakia appeared on a map of Europe in 1993 as separate countries.

Did you know?

• Anti-communist movement started in Poland in early 1980's, Hungary was the first to open its borders in summer 1989, Berlin Wall came down on 9 November. Czechoslovaks joined in as the last country in the region.
• 17th November 1989 was the 50th anniversary to commemorate the brutality of the Nazis against the university students and teachers in Prague in 1939.
• After the Velvet revolution, "little fires" were lit in the fields. The Secret police was vigorously destroying folders and documents as evidence of their acts.
• Gigantic statues of the communist leaders were taken down. Some of them are left in museums, others in gardens and garages.
• Czechoslovakia in 1993 was dissolved by agreement between politicians, not as a result of a referendum. In case of a referendum Czechoslovakia would probably have remained together.