The Soviet response to the Prague Spring of 1968 was to invade Czechoslovakia and suppress the liberal reforms initiated by the socialist government under Alexander Dubček. The Prague Spring aimed to create "socialism with a human face," advocating for increased freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and reforms in governmental structure. Alarmed by these developments and the potential for similar uprisings in other Eastern Bloc countries, the Soviet Union, along with Warsaw Pact allies, launched a military intervention in August 1968. This action effectively ended the reform movement and led to a period of normalization, entrenching Soviet control over the region.