The Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia in 1968 reversed the social and economic trends which were occurring as a result of the “maturation” of the society and the political regime. While these trends have continued elsewhere in Eastern Europe, Czechoslovakia has experienced the reintroduction of strong political and ideological controls in social and economic life. This has created a “crisis of legitimacy,” which the regime attempts to overcome through the delivery of increasing levels of personal consumption. Ethnic and political tensions, however, threaten the current status quo, while economic problems increasingly provide a focus for tension. It appears likely that the Soviet Union will have to introduce some “loosening” innovations in the future in order to contain these tensions.