The Velvet Revolution started November 17, 1989 and ended December 29, 1989. This six-week period brought about the overthrow of the
Czechoslovak communist regime.
It began on November 17, 1989 when Czech students held a demonstration to protest the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia.
Riot police stopped the students (who were making their way from the Czech National Cemetery at Vysehrad to Wenceslas Square) halfway in
their march and began beating the students with night sticks. Altogether, about 167 people were injured.
From Saturday, November 18th, until November 27th, mass demonstrations took place in Prague, Bratislava, and el
sewhere – and
public views and discussions instead of performances were held in Czechoslovakia’ theaters. Students and other workers began to strike across
Czechoslovakia, and they began to meet with members of the government in an attempt to reach an agreement which would satisfy all parties.
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, on November 28th, realized their defeat and agreed to release their monopoly on political power.
On December 10th, Communist President Gustav Husak appointed the first largely non-communist government in Czechoslovakia since 1948, and resigned. Alexander Dubcek was elected speaker of the
federal parliament on December 28, 1989 and Vaclav Havel became the first president of a free Czechoslovakia since 1948 on December 29, 1989. With Havel as president, the students ended their strike and the Velvet Revolution ceased.
Despite their shortcomings – not the least of which were political inexperience and serious time pressures – the brand new government
and parliament were able to fill in many of the most gaping holes in the Czechoslovak legal framework – concentrating in particular on the areas of human rights and freedoms, private ownership, and business law. They were also able to lay the framework for the first free elections to be held in Czechoslovakia in more than 40 years.
Some historians call the Velvet Revolution the Gentle Revolution. The Velvet Revolution demonstrated that it was in fact possible to change a government without violence.
