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"Velvet Revolution"
In 1989, Czechoslovakia won independence from the Soviet Union. This process was called the "Velvet Revolution", and it occurred with little violence. The independence movement that led up to the Velvet Revolution was decades in the making, and it began with the "Prague Spring" in 1968. The Velvet Revolution occurred through protests and workers' strikes. -
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Soviet Union splits, Cold War ends
The Cold War was fought through an arms race between the US and the Soviet Union, as well as through proxy wars. As the Cold War ended, the U.S.S.R. split into Russia and its satellite states, which gained independence. One of these states was Czechoslovakia. -
Czechoslovakia Officially Gains Independence
On November 28, 1989, the communist Soviet government announced that it would cede power over Czechoslovakia. This resulted from the many protests that were part of the Velvet Revolution, and marked a relatively smooth transition into sovereignty for Czechoslovakia. -
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia - "Velvet Divorce"
On January 1, 1993, the dissolution of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia took effect. This was known as the "Velvet Divorce" because of the relatively peaceful nature of the split, similar to when Czechoslovakia gained independence. Czechoslovakia was a multi-nation state, and the split represented the creation of two new nation-states, the Czech Republic and the country of Slovakia.