Prague, Czech Republic
Poland’s last communist leader, Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, offered his “sincere apologies” this week for helping the Soviet Union invade Czechoslovakia 37 years ago. As defense minister, Jaruzelski ordered Polish troops to help the Red Army crush the reform movement known as the Prague Spring. “Today, and naturally much earlier, I realized this decision had been incorrect, wrong, shameful,” he told Czech TV. Czechs are still bitter over Jaruzelski’s past, as are many Poles. Poland is preparing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity trade union, which Jaruzelski tried to crush by imposing martial law.
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