Velvet Revolution
Prague's bloodless regime change
The Velvet Revolution was the peaceful overthrow of communist rule in Czechoslovakia in November 1989.
The name reflects the smooth, nonviolent character of the transition—mass protests and strikes brought down the government without bloodshed.
The phrase now applies to any peaceful political transformation: They hoped for a velvet revolution, not civil war.
Czech Republic's chief city
- Charter 77Czech dissident manifesto
- NovemberEleventh month
- student protestOrganized academic activism
- dissidentsPolitical objectors
samizdat · general strike · ten days · regime change · transition · Bratislava · free elections · December
Czech Republic's chief city
- Czech RepublicBohemian homeland nation
- SlovakiaLandlocked Carpathian republic
- dissolutionBreaking up completely
- Eastern BlocUSSR-aligned European nations
Iron Curtain · Warsaw Pact · socialism · communism · federation · Bohemia · Moravia · Central Europe
Nonviolent collective expression of dissent
- civil disobediencePeaceful refusal to obey
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- resistanceCapacity to withstand force
- solidarityUnity among allies
reform · liberation · human chain · candlelight vigil · mass gathering · Gandhi · satyagraha · bloodless
Absence of constraint
- pluralismCoexistence of differing views
- libertyAbsence of unjust constraint
- rightsJustified claims to freedoms
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
parliament · free press · civil society · governance · elections · republic · autonomy · political parties
Prague
Czech Republic's chief city
- Charter 77Czech dissident manifesto
- NovemberEleventh month
- student protestOrganized academic activism
dissidents · samizdat · general strike · ten days · regime change · transition · Bratislava · free elections · December
Prague
Czech Republic's chief city
- Czech RepublicBohemian homeland nation
- SlovakiaLandlocked Carpathian republic
- dissolutionBreaking up completely
Eastern Bloc · Iron Curtain · Warsaw Pact · socialism · communism · federation · Bohemia · Moravia · Central Europe · Soviet influence
peaceful protest
Nonviolent collective expression of dissent
- civil disobediencePeaceful refusal to obey
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- resistanceCapacity to withstand force
solidarity · reform · liberation · human chain · candlelight vigil · mass gathering · Gandhi · satyagraha · bloodless · dignity
freedom
Absence of constraint
- pluralismCoexistence of differing views
- libertyAbsence of unjust constraint
- rightsJustified claims to freedoms
constitution · parliament · free press · civil society · governance · elections · republic · autonomy · political parties · rule of law
Velvet Revolutionarmed struggle
Violent political conflict
civil war · military uprising · armed insurrection · insurgency · violent overthrow
Velvet Revolutioncoup d'état
Violent government seizure
military coup · putsch · palace coup · military dictatorship
revolution, revolve, revolt, velvet, revolting, revolutionary, velvety, revolutionize, revolts