Topic: Czechoslovakia

Walking tour traces Czech Velvet Revolution against Communism

A student march started the 'Velvet Revolution' in Prague, Czech Republic, 20 years ago against communist leadership.

After the Berlin Wall, nostalgia for communism creeps back

Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, some in Eastern Europe miss the days of full employment and before free elections brought extremism.

Opinion: World leaders recall the fall of the Berlin Wall

Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, George H.W. Bush, and Francois Mitterrand give their account of 1989.

Fall of the Berlin Wall: Timeline

A history of the events that caused the Berlin Wall to fall on November 9, 1989.

The comedy of errors that caused a wall to fall

The Monitor's View: The Berlin wall and violent Islamic jihad

A persistent, united effort by governments and individuals brought down the Berlin wall. The same strategy can crack the wall of jihadist ideology.

Films that presaged the wall's fall

On the 20th anniversary, film festival honors Eastern bloc movies made in the decade before the Berlin Wall's demise.

Opinion: The Berlin Wall: what really made it fall

Extraordinary civil courage by the people of Leipzig on Oct. 9 first dissolved a crucial mental wall.

Opinion: On its 60th anniversary, China is still crushing freedom

Congress should pass Resolution 151 to speak out on behalf of arrested dissident Liu Xiaobo.

Putin walks a fine line in Poland, avoiding apology

On the anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Poland, the Russian prime minister praised the "heroism" of the Polish. But he did not apologize for the subsequent Russian invasion and execution of 20,000 Polish military officers.

As Putin heads to Poland, WWII disputes on display

The Russian president is being pressed for an apology for the secret deal the Soviets made to carve up Poland with the Nazis.

Do Iran’s hard-liners really believe ‘velvet revolution’ plot?

The indictment of more than 100 Iranians being tried en masse for opposing the regime opens a window onto the world view of those who fear change most.

Opinion: Why art is vital to freedom

On July 4, remember Solzenhitsyn's words: 'Art serves to battle lies and preserve the moral history of a society without the transitory and debasing rhetoric of bureaucrats.'

Opinion: What's the tipping point for revolution?

The similarities – and differences – between East Germany in 1989 and Iran in 2009 are striking.

In Iran, candidates cap a bitter campaign

Street demonstrations quieted ahead of intensely anticipated presidential vote on Friday.

Obama lays out steps for a nuclear free world

In Prague speech Sunday, the US president talked about Iran, North Korea, Russia, and how to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

Dow's rally most explosive since 1938

Opinion: India: Let Kashmir go

Resolving the disputed territory would benefit all.

The Monitor's View: Beijing blinks at 'Charter '08'

When so many intellectuals sign a manifesto for democracy, the regime sweats.

Where are all these countries coming from?

The Monitor's language columnist looks at marketers' artful use of the term 'countries' to make it seem as though they're serving more of them.

Amid Russia-Georgia standoff, iconic photo of 1968 Soviet invasion

Ladislav Bielik's iconic image of a Slovak baring his chest to the barrel of a Soviet tank is part of a commemorative exhibit 40 years ago to the day.

Russia-Georgia conflict: Why both sides have valid points

As Russian troops prepare to withdraw from Georgian bases and cities they invaded last week, a look at the two contradictory stories of what happened and why.

Opinion: Russo-Georgian conflict is not all Russia's fault

But war could ignite further disputes in the region.

USA

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