List of presidents of Czechoslovakia
President of Czechoslovakia | |
---|---|
Czech: Prezident Československa Slovak: Prezident Česko-Slovenska | |
Style | His Excellency |
Residence | Prague Castle Bratislava Castle (1969–92) |
Appointer | Federal Assembly |
Formation | 14 November 1918 |
First holder | Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk |
Final holder | Václav Havel |
Abolished | 31 December 1992 |
Succession | Václav Havel Michal Kováč |
The President of Czechoslovakia (Czech: Prezident Československa, Slovak: Prezident Česko-Slovenska) was the head of state of Czechoslovakia, from the creation of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 until the dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic in 1992.
In periods when the presidency was vacant, most presidential duties were assumed by the Prime Minister. However, the Czechoslovak Constitutions never defined anything like a post of acting president.
The second section lists the General Secretaries of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) in 1945–1989. After the 1948 coup d'état, the General Secretary was the country's de facto chief executive. However, three general secretaries (Klement Gottwald, Antonín Novotný and Gustáv Husák) also served as president at some point in their tenures.
The last living former President of Czechoslovakia, Václav Havel, died in 2011.
As of 2017[update], there are two living former General Secretaries of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia: Miloš Jakeš and Karel Urbánek.
Provisional governments-in-exile (1916–1918)
No. | Portrait | Name | Lifespan | Ethnicity | Elected | Took office | Left office | Political affiliation(s) |
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Chairman of the Czechoslovak National Council(In London, Paris, Petrograd, and finally American exile) | ||||||||
1 | Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk | 1850–1937 | Slovak | — | 6 February 1916 | 14 November 1918 | CSP | |
Chairmen of the Czechoslovak National Committee | ||||||||
1 | Karel Kramář | 1860–1937 | Czech | — | 28 October 1918 | 14 November 1918 | NSS |
Presidents of Czechoslovakia (1918–1992)
- Czechoslovak National Social Party (ČSNS)
- Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ)
- Civic Forum (OF)
- Independent
No. | Portrait | Name | Lifespan | Ethnicity | Elected | Took office | Left office | Political affiliation(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(1918–1938) | ||||||||
style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color; color:black" | 1 | Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk | 1850–1937 | Czech | 1918 1920 1927 1934 |
14 November 1918 | 14 December 1935 | Independent | |
style="background-color:Template:Republican Party of Farmers and Peasants/meta/color; color:white" | — | Milan Hodža | 1878–1944 | Slovak | Acting | 14 December 1935 | 18 December 1935 | RSZML | |
style="background-color:Template:Czech National Social Party/meta/color; color:black" | 2 | Edvard Beneš | 1884–1948 | Czech | 1935 | 18 December 1935 | 5 October 1938 | ČSNS | |
style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color; color:black" | — | Jan Syrový | 1888–1970 | Czech | Acting | 5 October 1938 | 30 November 1938 | Independent | |
(1938–1939) | ||||||||
style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color; color:black" | 3 | Emil Hácha | 1872–1945 | Czech | 1938 | 30 November 1938 | 15 March 1939 | Independent | |
(1939–1945) Emil Hácha became State President of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, a de jure autonomous region incorporated into Nazi Germany.[1][2] Jozef Tiso became President of the pseudo-independent, pro-Nazi and clero-fascist Slovak Republic. Avgustyn Voloshyn became President of the Carpatho-Ukraine few days before occupation by the Kingdom of Hungary. | ||||||||
(1940–1945) | ||||||||
style="background-color:Template:Czech National Social Party/meta/color; color:black" | — | Edvard Beneš | 1884–1948 | Czech | 1940 | 21 July 1940 | 4 April 1945 | ČSNS | |
(1945–1948) | ||||||||
style="background-color:Template:Czech National Social Party/meta/color; color:black" | 4 | Edvard Beneš | 1884–1948 | Czech | 1946 | 4 April 1945 | 7 June 1948 | ČSNS | |
(1948–1989) Official names: Czechoslovak Republic (1948–1960), Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1960–1989) | ||||||||
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 5 | Klement Gottwald | 1896–1953 | Czech | 1948 | 7 June 1948acting to 14 June 1948 | 14 March 1953(died in office) | KSČ | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 6 | Antonín Zápotocký | 1884–1957 | Czech | 1953 | 14 March 1953acting to 21 March 1953 | 13 November 1957(died in office) | KSČ | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | — | Viliam Široký | 1902–1971 | Slovak | Acting | 13 November 1957 | 19 November 1957 | KSČ | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 7 | Antonín Novotný | 1904–1975 | Czech | 1957 1964 |
19 November 1957 | 22 March 1968 | KSČ | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | — | Jozef Lenárt | 1923–2004 | Slovak | Acting | 22 March 1968 | 30 March 1968 | KSČ | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 8 | Ludvík Svoboda | 1895–1979 | Czech | 1968 1973 |
30 March 1968 | 28 October 1975 | KSČ | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 9 | Gustáv Husák | 1913–1991 | Slovak | 1975 1980 1985 |
29 October 1975 | 10 December 1989 | KSČ | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | — | Marián Čalfa | 1946- | Slovak | Acting | 10 December 1989 | 29 December 1989 | KSČ | |
(1989–1992) Official names: Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1989–1990), Czech and Slovak Federative Republic (1990–1992) | ||||||||
10 | Václav Havel | 1936–2011 | Czech | 1989 1990 1992 (failed) |
29 December 1989 | 20 July 1992 | OF | |
style="background-color:Template:Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic)/meta/color; color:white" | — | Jan Stráský | 1940–2019 | Czech | Acting | 20 July 1992 | 31 December 1992(dissolution of the country) | ODS |
General Secretaries of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (1948–1989)
Except for the final office-holder, they each held a strong executive power in the country de facto. Title: Chairman (1948–1953) and First Secretary (1953–1971).
No. | Portrait | Name | Lifespan | Ethnicity | Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 1 | Klement Gottwald | 1896–1953 | Czech | February 1948 | 14 March 1953 | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 2 | Antonín Novotný | 1904–1975 | Czech | 14 March 1953 | 5 January 1968 | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 3 | Alexander Dubček | 1921–1992 | Slovak | 5 January 1968 | 17 April 1969 | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 4 | Gustáv Husák | 1913–1991 | Slovak | 17 April 1969 | 17 December 1987 | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 5 | Miloš Jakeš | 1922- | Czech | 17 December 1987 | 24 November 1989 | |
style="background-color:Template:Communist Party of Czechoslovakia/meta/color; color:white" | 6 | Karel Urbánek | 1941- | Czech | 24 November 1989 | 20 December 1989 |
Timeline
Presidential Standards
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1918–1939, 1945–1960
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1960–1990
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1990–1992
References
See also
Administrative divisions |
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