With the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I, the Czech and the Slovaks decided to join together, and make the country Czechoslovakia on October 28, 1918, and Prague became the capital. In September of 1938, seeing a chance to appease Hitler and avoid a war in Europe, Britain, France, Italy and Germany signed the Munich Pact, giving Hitler the right to invade and claim Czechoslovakia's border areas. On March 15, 1939, Czechoslovakia was invaded by Hitler's army. The border territories were controlled by Germany and the rest of the country was occupied by Nazi Germany until the end of World War II in 1945. About 350,000 Czech citizens died, including 275,000 Jews. When the war ended, the Communist Party slowly began to take control, industries were nationalized, and almost the entire German minority in Czechoslovakia, about 3 million people, were deported to Germany and Austria and their property was seized. Communist was most wanted by the people. By 1948, the Communists secured control of key locations in Prague, and a new Communist government was formed. For the next 41 years, Czechoslovakia would remain a Communist country. Nationalization in Czechoslovakia continued, and most of the privately owned companies became the property of the country. The economy grew during the 1950s and 1960s, but it eventually declined under Communism's socialist policies. The 'Prague Spring' began in January of 1968 when Slovak Alexander Dubcek came to power. He tried to grant additional rights to the citizens by loosening restrictions on the media, speech and travel. In August of the same year, the freedom rising in Czechoslovakia was seen as a threat in the Soviet Union. So five Communist countries invaded Czechoslovakia, and Soviet troops continued to occupy the country until 1989. With a Russian breakdown in progress, the last years of communism where certainly on the horizon, and when the Berlin Wall finally fell in November of 1989, the non-violent 'Velvet Revolution' brought an end to communism in Czechoslovakia.