The "벨벳 혁명" (Velvet Revolution) was a peaceful protest movement in Czechoslovakia that took place in late 1989. It aimed to end 41 years of communist rule and restore democracy. The movement began with mass demonstrations, which were largely non-violent, and gained momentum after the brutal suppression of a student protest on November 17, 1989. Key figures in the revolution included Václav Havel, a playwright and dissident who later became the country's first president after the fall of communism. The Velvet Revolution culminated in the resignation of the communist government on December 10, 1989, leading to free elections and significant political change.