During the Prague Spring, the Soviet ambassador to Czechoslovakia (Stepan Chervonenko) and his staff were too afraid to report the actual public attitude in Czechoslovakia. Instead, they inflated "conservative" (i.e. doctrinaire Communist) opposition and totally ignored the widespread public support for Cubcek's reforms - apparently, they even made it sound like the people opposed Dubcek and public order was breaking down. Meanwhile, the Politburo in Moscow carefully considered the decision and waited months before deciding to send in military force to crush reform.
So, suppose Chervonenko has an attack of conscience (or decides this situation is too dangerous to conceal, or it's so big any concealment will be futile) and tells Moscow the real situation on the ground? His career would very likely be sunk, but it was anyway iOTL once Russian troops were on the ground reporting how badly he'd lied. More broadly, given how tough the decision was iOTL and how Russian troops were never sent to suppress Eastern European opposition again, the Politburo would very likely decide not to invade Czechoslovakia and suppress the Prague Spring if they had known what was really going on.
What would happen then? What sort of state would the independent socialists in Czechoslovakia set up, and what would its impact be on the rest of the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War?
So, suppose Chervonenko has an attack of conscience (or decides this situation is too dangerous to conceal, or it's so big any concealment will be futile) and tells Moscow the real situation on the ground? His career would very likely be sunk, but it was anyway iOTL once Russian troops were on the ground reporting how badly he'd lied. More broadly, given how tough the decision was iOTL and how Russian troops were never sent to suppress Eastern European opposition again, the Politburo would very likely decide not to invade Czechoslovakia and suppress the Prague Spring if they had known what was really going on.
What would happen then? What sort of state would the independent socialists in Czechoslovakia set up, and what would its impact be on the rest of the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War?