Photos: 50 Years Since a Soviet Invasion Ended the Prague Spring

In 1968, during a period called the “Prague Spring,” Alexander Dubček, the newly-elected leader of Czechoslovakia, enacted pro-democracy reforms loosening state control and expanding individual rights, giving hope to Czech citizens and angering the Soviet Union. Soviet leaders in Moscow believed that Czechoslovakia, a member of the Warsaw Pact, had gone too far, and summoned Czech leaders for discussions.