After World War II, Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet
sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended
the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize party rule and
create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the
following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the
collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its
freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the
country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components,
the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Now a member of NATO, the Czech
Republic has moved toward integration in world markets, a development
that poses both opportunities and risks.