It's January 5th, 1968 in Prague, the capital of communist Czechoslovakia.

In a wood panel chamber, inside an ancient castle, 47-year-old Alexander Dubcheque stares at the empty ballot paper in front of him.

All around him, dozens of other Communist Party officials are busy writing down a name on their own balance.

Dubcheck hesitates, though, his pencil poised over the paper.

Then he takes a deep breath and carefully prints out his own name.

He just hopes the other party members around him are doing the same thing.

This morning, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia

was ousted in a vote of the Central Committee,

and now Dubcheck thinks he has a chance for replacing him as leader of the country.

He walks over to the ballot box and drops his paper

into the slot, then returns to his seat acknowledging the smiles and nods of his friends in the chamber.

Once all the ballots have been deposited, a group of committee members leaves the room to count the votes.

So while the other committee members discuss their predictions for the vote, Dubcheque waits intense silence.

He knows what's at stake for the future of his nation.

Dubcheck belongs to the minority slowback population, who have long been politically and economically

sideline. But if he's elected today, he intends to change that, and much more.

The vote counters return to the chamber.

As the lead official steps up to a lectern, conversation dies away, and Doobcchek realizes

he can hardly breathe as he watches the man slowly unfold a piece of paper.

The room is silent.

Then the man reads out the name of the winner, Alexander Dubcheck.

The room breaks into applause.

...