tional policies. The Soviets thought Novotny's ouster was a matter of a power struggle, but there were many other factors involved that demonstrated profound changes in Czechoslovakia and forces at work that would lead to more changes. The reformist program was freely discussed throughout the country, and the news media publicly supported the reforms:
The uninhibited news media demonstrated growing criticism not only toward the question of Novotny and his supporters and their past policies--particularly policies relating to human rights and unfavorable economic conditions--but also at times toward the internal policies of Czechoslovakia's Warsaw Pact allies (Valenta, 1991, 12).
The Soviets perceived a threat to themselves and their power, though as Valenta (1991) points out, any threat to the domination by the Soviets was only potential and not imminent. In other words, there was no real reason to rush to judgment or to throw
...