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Social Structure

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Teleprint from CC CPCz to First Secretary CC CPS and Secretaries of Regional and District Committees

The Velvet Revolution was named for the remarkably non-violent end to communism in Czechoslovakia. Yet as Milos Jakes and his conservative government scrambled to respond to the aftermath of November 17, they were considering all options.

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Proclamation on the Establishment of Civic Forum

For many years, opposition in Czechoslovakia was represented mainly by Charter 77, a group advocating human rights and peaceful, evolutionary change.

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Prague Embassy cable, Embassy Protest of Attack on American Journalist During November 17-19

In this November 20 cable to the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Prague reported its formal protest of the assault on American journalists during the November 17 demonstration. Western media coverage of independent and anti-state activity had increased during 1989.

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Prague Embassy cable, Demonstrations Continue Over Weekend in Prague

The U.S. Ambassador in Prague cabled regular reports to the State Department during the Velvet Revolution.

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Prague Embassy cable, Czechoslovak Press Coverage of Demonstration and List Agenda of Demands

In communist state, a newspaper article sometimes told the reader more than just what happened yesterday. Because the party maintained strict control over what could be printed or broadcast, the way the news was reported could signal political changes as well.

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Prague Embassy cable, Czechoslovak Independents Establish New Organization and List Agenda of Demands

The established opposition reacted slowly to November 17; while students and actors began mobilizing on Saturday, it was Sunday before opposition leaders met to determine their next steps.

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Prague Embassy cable, American Woman's Account of November 17 Demonstration and the Death of a Czech Student

The experience of November 17 is difficult to recapture in all its intensity and chaos. But this testimony from an American eyewitness evokes the atmosphere. Although the story comes second-hand through this November 20 U.S.

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Prague Embassy cable, Popular and Soviet Pressure for Reform Converge on the Jakes Leadership

Part of any U.S. ambassador's job involves evaluating the political situation at their post. When Ambassador Shirley Temple Black arrived in Prague in early autumn 1989, most American officials agreed that the conservative Czechoslovak leadership would be in power for a while.

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Prague Embassy cable, Demonstrations in Prague and Other Czechoslovak Cities November 20

November 17 set in motion a dramatic train of events in Czechoslovakia. But for the first few days their direction remained unclear. This U.S. embassy report on the situation through November 20 highlighted some of the unresolved issues. To begin with, the protests lacked a definite leader.

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Prague Embassy cable, Student Strike Situation Report

This November 21 U.S. embassy report demonstrates the influence of the independent student strike at the beginning of the Velvet Revolution. The students' power stemmed largely from their ability to organize quickly.