A csehszlovák belügyminisztérium 1968-ban. Josef Pavel reformja
The Czechoslovak Ministry of the Interior in 1968: The Reforms of Josef Pavel

Summary/Abstract: After the Action program of the Czechoslovak Communist Party was adopted during the Prague Spring in April 1968, a new government was formed in which Josef Pavel was the minister of internal affairs. Pavel was a victim of the show trials in the Stalin period and therefore a strong supporter of the reform movement. The paper deals with his plans to reshape the work of his ministry and, most importantly, of the state security. His plans were based on the Action program of the party. However, even party leader and moderate reformer Alexander Dubček and prime minister Oldřich Černík worked against him, so initially Pavel had no support at all, not even in the ministry itself. The only notable exception was Václav Prchlík, leader of the administrative department of the party, who was also a radical reformer. Pavel was able to replace the previous deputy ministers only after two months and other leaders of his portfolio in the beginning of August. Pavel’s reforms were opposed by the soviet security service, the KGB, which had agents also in Prague, both Soviets and Czechoslovaks, including one of the new deputy ministers, Viliam Šalgovič. In his first months, Pavel even seemed to be hesitant. Contrary to these facts, and against the resolution of the Presidency of the Central Committee, Pavel was able to carry on his plans and to adopt the action plans of the ministry and the security services.

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