Although Soviet Russia generally controlled the members of the Warsaw Pact with an iron hand during the Cold War years, there were more than a few instances of significant uprisings (expressions of citizen dissent) in the Warsaw Pact states. One of the first of these occurred in Hungary in October 1956.
Hungarian citizens staged a spontaneous uprising in an effort to oust the Russian dominated regime. The revolt was motivated by a deep sense of nationalism and a desire to once again be a sovereign state. Rebels, often armed with farm implements and Molotov cocktails, were disabling Soviet tanks and achieving small victories throughout the country. (http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-cold-war/the-hungarian-uprising-of-1956/ )
In early November 1956, the leaders of the rebellion rejected Hungary’s participation in the Warsaw Pact and appealed to the United Nations for help in establishing the country’s neutrality. This prompted Russia to send in troops to end the rebellion. Despite indications by the U.S. sponsored Radio Free Europe that encouraged the Hungarians, the United States did not get involved because President Eisenhower’s administration determined that there was little the United States could do—short of risking global war—to help the rebels. And, he was not prepared to go that far. (Id.)
Another incident involved East Germany. Although the circumstances in East Germany in the late 1950s and early 1960s did not amount to an armed rebellion as in Hungary, the citizens in East Berlin expressed their dissatisfaction with the Russian-oriented Communist system. For years, refugees from East Berlin, attempting to escape their dire living conditions under the inefficient communist economy and the repressive communist political system, had been defecting to West Berlin by the thousands. Initially, the East German government with Soviet assistance tried to stem the flow of this human capital by barbed wire and armed guards; however, that was later replaced by a concrete wall protected by minefields and guards with machine guns. Again, the United Sates acquiesced with President John Kennedy saying, “A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.” (http://www.thehistoryreader.com/contemporary-history/president-kennedy-berlin-wall/) During the lifetime of The Berlin Wall, nearly 80 people were killed trying to escape from East to West Berlin.
“Chippin’ Away,” words and music by Tom Fedora (1986) was sung by Crosby, Stills and Nash. This song expresses encouragement for those in East Germany to “chip away” at the totalitarian regime that suppressed their lives. (https://youtu.be/-UMMJ_JNWAY)
They say the mountain is high
And you’ll never move it.
Ah, but before I believe that,
They’ll just have to prove it.
I have a hammer in my hand,
And faith in my heart.
I’ve already waited too long,
And I’m ready to start.Chippin’ away, little by little, day by day.
Chippin’ away, and the walls will come tumbling down.
Oh what a wonderful sound.There is a wall around the church (town),
And a wall around the prison (city)
I think the wall around your heart, baby
Its blocking out your vision.So put a hammer in your hand,
And faith in your heart.
You’ve already waited too long
Aren’t you ready to start.Chippin’ away, little by little, day by day.
Chippin’ away, and the walls will come tumbling down,
Oh what a wonderful sound.
“Over de Muur,” by Klein Orkest (1984) is a Dutch song about the Berlin Wall and divided Berlin. It describes both sides of Berlin after 40 years of being a divided city. Following are the lyrics in native Dutch and English translation. (https://youtu.be/sVghH346RIk)
Oost-Berlijn, Unter den Linden
Er wandelen mensen langs vlaggen en vaandels
Waar Lenin en Marx nog steeds op een voetstuk staan
En iedereen werkt, hamers en sikkels
Terwijl in paradepas de wacht wordt gewisseld
40 Jaar socialisme, er is in die tijd veel bereiktMaar wat is nou die heilstaat
Als er muren omheenstaan
Als je bang en voorzichtig met je mening moet omgaan
Ach, wat is nou die heilstaat
Zeg mij wat is ‘ie waard
Wanneer iemand die afwijkt voor gek wordt verklaardEn alleen de vogels vliegen van Oost- naar West-Berlijn
Worden niet teruggefloten, ook niet neergeschoten
Over de muur, over het IJzeren Gordijn
Omdat ze soms in het Westen, soms ook in het Oosten willen zijn (2x)West-Berlijn, de Kurfürstendamm
Er wandelen mensen langs porno en peepshow
Waar Mercedes en Cola nog steeds op een voetstuk staan
En de neonreclames die glitterend lokken
Kom dansen, kom eten, kom zuipen, kom gokken
Dat is nou 40 jaar vrijheid
Er is in die tijd veel bereiktMaar wat is nou die vrijheid zonder huis, zonder baan
Zoveel Turken in Kreuzberg, die amper kunnen bestaan
Goed! Je mag demonstreren maar met je rug tegen de muur
En alleen als je geld hebt, dan is de vrijheid niet duurEn de vogels vliegen van West- naar Oost-Berlijn
Worden niet teruggefloten, ook niet neergeschoten
Over de muur, over het IJzeren Gordijn
Omdat ze soms in het Oosten, soms ook in het Westen willen zijn
Omdat er brood ligt soms, bij de Gedächtniskirche, soms op het AlexanderpleinEnglish translation:
East Berlin, Unter den Linden
People walking by flags and banners
Where Lenin and Marx still stand on a pedestal
And everyone works, hammers and sickles
As the guards are changing in parade step
Forty years of socialism, and much has been achievedBut what does utopia mean with walls surrounding it
If you’re afraid and have to say things cautiously
Oh, what is utopia, tell me: what is it worth?
When someone different is declared madAnd only the birds fly from East to West Berlin
Don’t be whistled back, nor shot down
Over the wall, over the Iron Curtain
Because sometimes they like to be in the West, and sometimes in the EastWest Berlin, the Kurfürstendamm
People walking by porn and peepshows
Where Mercedes and Cola still stand on a pedestal
And the neon ads, they’re glittering and luring
Come dance, come eat, come drink, come gamble!
Forty years of freedom, and much has been achievedBut what does freedom mean, without a home, without a job?
So many Turks in Kreuzberg who can hardly survive
Okay, you can demonstrate, but with your back against the wall
And only if you have money, can you be freeThe birds fly from West to East Berlin
Don’t get whistled back, neither shot down
Over the wall, over the Iron Curtain
Because sometimes they like to be in the East, and sometimes in the WestBecause there is bread lying sometimes near the Gedächtniskirche
And sometimes at the Alexanderplatz
In 1968, from January when reformist Slovak Alexander Dubček came to power, until August 21, when the Soviet Union and members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country, Czechoslovakia experienced “The Prague Spring.” This was an effort to create “Socialism with a Human Face.” The Prague Spring reforms were an attempt by Dubček to grant additional rights to the citizens by way of partial decentralization of the economy and democratization. Among the freedoms granted were a loosening of restrictions on the media, speech and travel. Dubček also federalized the country into two separate republics, the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. His foreign policy included both the maintenance of good relations with Western countries and cooperation with the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc nations. (http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-cold-war/alexander-dubcek/; http://www.historyinanhour.com/2013/01/18/the-prague-spring-summary/)
Circulation of newspapers and magazines grew rapidly during Dubček’s rule, limited only by paper supplies and the capacity of printing presses. Intellectuals openly debated questions of politics and society, and political and cultural groups arose outside the sanction of the Communist Party, holding meetings to discuss the issues of the day and the revelations about the country’s past. The new openness in the press spread to the working class. Factory workers began to demand the firing of discredited officials and the introduction of workplace democracy. By June, a wave of spontaneous strikes broke out, and, instead of repressing them as in the past, the government hesitated, further emboldening workers. (Id.)
Russia considered the Prague Spring a threat to its Eastern European hegemony. Based on the “Brezhnev Doctrine,” which stated that the U.S.S.R. had the right to intervene whenever a country in the Eastern Bloc appeared to be making a shift towards capitalism, Russia issued an ultimatum to Dubček, threatening intervention if he did not get “counter-revolutionary” forces under control. (Id.)
On the night of August 20th to 21st troops from the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia to reassert the Moscow’s authority. The bulk of these troops were from the Soviet Union, but to give the impression that they represented the whole of the Warsaw Pact who were united in disapproval of what Dubček had done, there were contingents of Polish, East German, Hungarian and Bulgarian troops. The Czechs had no ability to withstand and the invasion was over quickly with little loss of life. Dubček and other government ministers were taken to Moscow as prisoners. Dubček was replaced in April 1969 by a hardliner, Gustav Husak.(Id.)
The music for “Prayer for Martha or Modlitba pro Martu,” was written by Marta Kubišová (who also sung it). The lyrics were written by Petr Rada, (1968). This song became a symbol of Czech national resistance against the occupation of Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. (https://youtu.be/S3UaBQSYQCU; https://youtu.be/h83YXdM3WL0 )
Modlitba pro Martu
(Prayer for Martha)
Ať mír dál zůstává s touto krajinou.Zloba, závist, zášť, strach a svár,
ty ať pominou, ať už pominou.
Teď když tvá ztracená vláda věcí tvých zpět se k
tobě navrátí, lide, navrátí.Z oblohy mrak zvolna odplouvá
a každý sklízí setbu svou.
Modlitba má ta ať promlouvá k srdcím,
která zloby čas nespáil
jak květy mráz, jak mráz.Ať mír dál zůstává s touto krajinou.
Zloba, závist, zášť, strach a svár,
ty ať pominou, ať už pominou.
Teď když tvá ztracená vláda věcí tvých zpět se k
tobě navrátí, lide, navrátí.
English translation:Let peace remain with this country.
Malice, envy, hate, fear and contention,
Let these pass away, quickly pass away.
Now, when lost governance over your own
Affairs returns to you, people, returns.The clouds are slowly rolling away
And everyone harvests what he has sown.
Let my prayer speak to the hearts,
Which times of malice have not burned,
Like frost burns the flowers, like frost.Let peace remain with this country.
Malice, envy, hate, fear and contention,
Let these pass away, quickly pass away.
Now, when lost governance over your own
Affairs returns to you, people, returns.
The Israeli song “Prague” was written by Shalom Hanoch and performed by Arik Einstein at the Israel Song Festival of 1969. It was a lamentation on the fate of the city after the Soviet invasion. (https://youtu.be/4gd-2vjPYPE) The song mentions Jan Palach, a hero of the Prague Spring and the video shows a bronze memorial plaque with a ghostly death mask that honors him in the Prague square that also bears his name. Palach, a student at Charles University, burned himself to death in January 1969 in Wenceslas Square in protest against the Soviet invasion. The translation below appears side-by-side:
PRAGUE
el ha’ir shvu’yat hachalom
tzel ka’ved vazar hegi’ach
veyare’ach be’adom
et malchuto taval befi’achmi shelo atzam et einav
et leilo hamar ka’av hu
dumiyat kni’aa bli krav
ish et nishko natzar ad maveteich al Prag shachar lo baka
bashlisheet kala kocho
eich nadam kol kikar homa bechag
shir shechalamti al Prag
shir shechalamti al Prag
sham hashachar od yivka
sham hashachar od yivkakmo tatzlum yashan matz’hiv
‘eer shel refa’im mutelet
leraglei dubim chershim
u’betzavara hama’acheletet pitcho ish lo yotze
rei’ach geta’ot malu’ach
mika’tze ve’ad ka’tze
al pnei ha’ir nisa baru’acheich al Prag shachar lo baka…
rak hasheket ba notar
ish tza’ir chomek lefeta
az ala lo or muzar
sham bechikar ha’ir shemetashir shechalamti al Prag…
PRAGUE
on the dreaming city
a heavy and unfamiliar shadow has emerged
and the moon is in red
dipped his glory in soothe who did not close his eyes
hurt the bitter night
silence of surrender with no battle
men locked their weapons till deathhow on Prague the dawn never came
on the third it’s power was gone
how quiet the busy square had become
a song I’ve been dreaming of Prague
a song I’ve been dreaming of Prague
there the dawn would come
there the dawn would comelike an old yellow photo
a city of ghosts rests
at the foot of deaf bears
and to her neck the slaughtering knifeno one leaves home
salty smell of ghettos
from one edge to the other
carried by the wind throughout the townhow on Prague the dawn never came…
only the silence is left in her
a young man suddenly evades
then a strange light arose
there, at the dead city squarea song i’ve been dreaming of Prague..
“They Can’t Stop The Spring,” is a song by John Waters with music by Tommy Moran, performed by Dervish. (https://youtu.be/6hadshLhvJ0)
Waters has described it as “…a kind of Celtic celebration of the Eastern European revolutions and their eventual outcome.” The song refers to a Dubček quote: “They may crush the flowers, but they can’t stop the spring.”
The curtain has been raised, the wall no longer stands
And from Lisadell to Latvia, we’re singing as one clanThe curtain has been raised, and Europe’s all one stage
And the archipelagic icicles have melted like the cageWe don’t need no party, just a party band
A continental choir singing hand in handThey might scare the blackbird
But they cannot stop him sing
They may steal the honey
But they’ll never steal the sting
They may crush the flowers
Trample every living thing
But they can’t stop the springThey might scare the blackbird
But they cannot stop him sing
They may steal the honey
But they’ll never steal the sting
They may crush the flowers
And trample every living thing
But they can’t stop the springThey might scare the blackbird
But they cannot stop him sing
They may steal the honey
But they’ll never steal the sting
They may crush the flowers
And trample every living thing
But they can’t stop the spring
No, they can’t stop the spring
Poland was also the scene of anti-Soviet disruptions. By the end of the 1970s, deteriorating economic conditions in Poland led to massive worker’s strikes. In the summer of 1980, Solidarity, a Polish union led by Lech Walesa, was founded at the Lenin Shipyards in Gdansk. Some 17,000 workers staged a strike protesting higher costs of goods and barricaded themselves within the plant. Under Walesa, the union presented the Polish government with a list of demands based on the Charter of Workers’ Rights. The government agreed to some of Solidarity’s demands including the right to strike and greater freedom of religious and political expression. This became “The first significant crack in the hegemony of the Soviet empire.” (Jennings and Brewster, p. 471.)
Throughout 1981, Solidarity and Walesa were pressured by more militant unionists and pressed the Polish government for more economic reforms: for free elections and for the involvement of trade unions in decision making at the highest levels. As a result, the Polish government was subjected to severe pressure from the Soviet Union to suppress Solidarity. On Dec. 13, 1981, martial law was decreed, Solidarity was declared illegal, and its leaders were arrested. The union was formally dissolved by the government on Oct. 8, 1982, but it continued on as an underground organization. Walesa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983.
“Solidarity,” by Angelic Upstarts, celebrates the actions of Walesa and his supporters. (https://youtu.be/MrlmcRbjggI)
As the polish workers fight to make their stand
And behind them every honest working men
In unity there’s each other and your friend becomes your brother
And in the tyrant’s heart will be a lesson learntGive them hope
Give them strength
Give them life
Like a candle burning in the black of night
We are with you in our hearts and in our minds
And we`ll pray for a nation through it’s darkest timesI know that your hearts are made of a firmer kind
And a riot stick won’t kill your peace of mind
You can fight with all the spirit that you possess
Because your fight is a struggle that is blessedGive them hope
Give them strength
Give them life
Like a candle burning in the black of night
We are with you in our hearts and in our minds
And we`ll pray for a nation through it’s darkest timesThe tyrant has no smile upon his face
Cos he knows that in his minds he’s in disgrace
The religion of union will take his breath away
Our turn will come and we will have our dayGive them hope
Give them strength
Give them life
Like a candle burning in the black of night
We are with you in our hearts and in our minds
And we`ll pray for a nation through it’s darkest timesAs the polish workers fight to make their stand
And behind them every honest working man
Join hands with your brother
And then you can help each other
Watch the tyrants burn in the fire that they have built.Give them hope
Give them strength
Give them life
Like a candle burning in the black of night
We are with you in our hearts and in our minds
And we`ll pray for a nation through it’s darkest times
“Saturdays in Silesia,” is by Rational Youth (1982). (https://youtu.be/cCHafXHrzdk) Its message that rebellion and freedom take many forms, was inspired by the famous Lech Walesa-led strike at the Gdansk shipyard in Poland.
Living in a graveyard
Waiting for the axe to fall
Working in a big hole
Just to pay the rent man
When my work is over
Call you on the telephone
Paint your pretty face
Put on your cardboard dance shoesSaturdays in Silesia
Holidays are for heroes
City lights – not quite Broadway
Saturdays in SilesiaBought a quart of vodka
Didn’t even stand in line
That’s the only thing
That we are never short of
Got the number 8 bus
Took it to the navy docks
Girl of my dreams
Lives right around the cornerGonna take you where the music is loud
Where the rhythm never stops
Find the magic if there’s any to be foundSaturdays in Silesia
Holidays are for heroes
City lights—not quite Broadway
Saturdays in SilesiaAnd if the soldiers put a padlock on the door
We’ll break it open like we’ve always done before
We don’t have much but what we’ve got we’re gonna keep
Won’t you stay close to me?Gonna take you where the music is loud
Where the rhythm never stops
Find the magic if there’s any to be foundSaturdays in Silesia
Holidays are for heroes
City lights—not quite
Broadway Saturdays in Silesia