Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

Slovakia, 1948–1990. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was the Czechoslovak state from 1948 until 1989, when the country was under communist rule, and was regarded as a satellite state in the Soviet sphere of interest. In a coup d'état in February 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia seized power with the support of the Soviet Union. In 20–21 August 1968 the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. In 1969, the country became a federative republic comprising the Czech Socialist Republic and Slovak Socialist Republic.

Seat of power: Prague

Rulers

Klement Gottwald

President of Czechoslovakia, 1948–1953

Under Stalin's direction, Gottwald imposed the Stalinist Soviet model of government on the country. He nationalized the country's industry and initiated the collectivization of Czechoslovak farms. His regime conducted a number of show trials, including the trial of the non-Communist politician Milada Horáková, who was executed in June 1950, as well as fellow comrades and Communist party leaders Rudolf Slánský and Vlado Clementis, both of whom were executed in December 1952.

Portrait of Klement Gottwald: UnknownUnknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, file

Antonín Zápotocký

President of Czechoslovakia, 1953–1957

As per the Ninth-of-May Constitution, Zápotocký took over most presidential duties, and was formally elected president in his own right a week later. Zápotocký favoured a more humane way of governing, but was outflanked by the Stalinist First Secretary Antonín Novotný.

Portrait of Antonín Zápotocký: Nationaal Archief, CC0, file

Antonín Novotný

President of Czechoslovakia, 1957–1968

Following the death of Zápotocký in 1957, Novotný was named as President of the republic, further consolidating his grip on power. Three years later, he replaced the superficially democratic Ninth-of-May Constitution with a new constitution that was a fully Communist document. In March 1968, he was ousted as president and in May he resigned from the Central Committee of the CPC.

Portrait of Antonín Novotný: Pot, Harry, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, file

Ludvík Svoboda

President of Czechoslovakia, 1968–1975

Svoboda was elected President of Czechoslovakia on 30 March 1968, on the recommendation of Alexander Dubček, the First Secretary. President Svoboda was mildly supportive of the reform process of the new Party leadership until the Warsaw Pact intervention in August 1968.

Portrait of Ludvík Svoboda: Original photo taken by Stanislav Tereba, http://www.tereba.com/ The first derivated version by Fredy.00 This derivat..., CC BY-SA 3.0 cz, file

Gustáv Husák

President of Czechoslovakia, 1975–1989

Husák was soon appointed leader of the Communist Party and General Secretary in Dubček's place, and presided over the period of normalization, whereby the Czechoslovak government reestablished its ties to the Warsaw Pact and aimed to preserve stable communist governance while minimizing social unrest. Husák's resignation from leadership in 1987 did little to thwart the collapse of communist rule in the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

Portrait of Gustáv Husák: http://kalendarakcii.bratislava.sk/vismo/akce.asp?id_org=700021&id=4789&p1=7765 http://zpravy.idnes.cz/foto.aspx?foto..., CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Václav Havel

President of Czechoslovakia, 1989–1992

On 29 December 1989, while he was leader of the Civic Forum, Havel became President of Czechoslovakia by a unanimous vote of the Federal Assembly. Despite increasing political tensions between the Czechs and the Slovaks in 1992, Havel supported the retention of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic prior to the dissolution of the country. After the Slovaks issued their Declaration of Independence, he resigned as president on 20 July, saying that he would not preside over the country's breakup.

Portrait of Václav Havel: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, file

Culture

The purges accompanied various show trials, including those of Rudolf Slánský, Vladimír Clementis, Ladislav Novomeský and Gustáv Husák (Clementis was later executed).
Under the federation, social and economic inequities between the Czech and Slovak halves of the country were largely eliminated. The centralized political control of the Communist Party severely limited the effects of federalization.
The 1970s saw the rise of the dissident movement in Czechoslovakia, represented (among others) by Václav Havel. The movement sought greater political participation and expression in the face of official disapproval.

Picture

The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989.

Image: ŠJů (cs:ŠJů), CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.