The Prague Spring, a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during 1968, was crushed by a Soviet-led invasion on August 20. This military intervention aimed to suppress the reforms that sought to create 'socialism with a human face,' leading to widespread protests and resistance. The invasion had profound implications for Eastern Europe, reinforcing Soviet control and stifling aspirations for democratic governance in the region.

The crushing of the Prague Spring in 1968 drove dissident poets like Václav Havel underground, leading to the rise of samizdat poetry as an act of resistance. This underground movement emphasized the power of words as a form of spiritual labor, challenging totalitarian narratives and preserving truth through art.