1968 in international relations

1968 in international relations was a year of profound global upheaval, marked by a major communist military offensive in Vietnam, widespread social and political protests across continents, and a crisis of confidence within both superpower blocs. The Cold War entered a volatile phase, with the Prague Spring challenging Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe and the United States grappling with the Tet Offensive and domestic unrest. Simultaneously, the year saw significant diplomatic maneuvers, the continued dissolution of European colonial empires, and pivotal moments for international institutions.

Major conflicts and crises

The Vietnam War dominated the global stage, with the Tet Offensive launched by the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army in January shocking international audiences and severely undermining U.S. public support for the war. In the Middle East, the ongoing War of Attrition along the Suez Canal intensified hostilities between Israel and neighboring Arab states, particularly Egypt. Europe was rocked by the Prague Spring, a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia that was brutally ended in August by the Warsaw Pact invasion led by Soviet tanks, a defining crisis of the Cold War. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil War continued, with the Republic of Biafra facing a blockade and famine, drawing international humanitarian concern.

Diplomatic events and treaties

A key diplomatic breakthrough was the signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in July, opened for signature in London, Moscow, and Washington, D.C., aiming to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. In January, the USS ''Pueblo'', a United States Navy intelligence vessel, was captured by North Korea in the Sea of Japan, sparking a tense eleven-month diplomatic crisis. The Glassboro Summit Conference between U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin took place in 1967, but its shadow and the unresolved issues of missile defense and Vietnam continued to shape 1968 diplomacy. Preliminary talks aimed at achieving Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) began between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Decolonization and independence

The process of decolonization in Africa and the Pacific advanced. Mauritius gained independence from the United Kingdom in March, followed by Swaziland (now Eswatini) in September. In the Pacific, Nauru became an independent republic, ending its trusteeship under Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The United Nations continued to pressure remaining colonial powers, with resolutions concerning territories like Rhodesia, where the white-minority government of Ian Smith defiantly maintained its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain.

Cold War developments

The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in August to crush the Prague Spring demonstrated the limits of Soviet tolerance for reform within its sphere of influence, reinforcing the Brezhnev Doctrine. This action caused significant rifts within the worldwide Communist movement, alienating parties in Western Europe and provoking condemnation from China and Yugoslavia. In the Western Bloc, the United States was politically weakened by the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, while in France, the May 1968 events challenged the government of Charles de Gaulle and echoed similar student and worker protests in West Germany, Mexico, and beyond.

International organizations

The United Nations Security Council was frequently occupied with the aftermath of the Six-Day War and the escalating War of Attrition. The International Court of Justice ruled on the North Sea continental shelf cases. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) faced internal strain due to France's continued withdrawal from its integrated military command and the external shock of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. The Organization of American States (OAS) convened in Washington, D.C., while the Arab League grappled with the ongoing consequences of the Six-Day War and inter-Arab rivalries. Category:1968 in politics Category:1968 in international relations