List of presidents of Czechoslovakia

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.

President of Czechoslovakia
Czech: Prezident Československa
Slovak: Prezident Česko-Slovenska
StyleHis Excellency
ResidencePrague Castle
Bratislava Castle
(1969–92)
AppointerFederal Assembly
Formation14 November 1918
First holderTomáš Garrigue Masaryk
Final holderVáclav Havel
Abolished31 December 1992
Succession Václav Havel
Michal Kováč

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, 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)
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)
No. Portrait Name Lifespan Ethnicity Elected Took office Left office Political affiliation(s)
(1918–1938)
1 Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk 1850–1937 Czech 1918
1920
1927
1934		 14 November 1918 14 December 1935 Independent
— Milan Hodža 1878–1944 Slovak Acting 14 December 1935 18 December 1935 RSZML
2 Edvard Beneš 1884–1948 Czech 1935 18 December 1935 5 October 1938 ČSNS
— Jan Syrový 1888–1970 Czech Acting 5 October 1938 30 November 1938 Independent
(1938–1939)
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)
— Edvard Beneš 1884–1948 Czech 1940 21 July 1940 4 April 1945 ČSNS
Third Czechoslovak Republic
(1945–1948)
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)
5 Klement Gottwald 1896–1953 Czech 1948 7 June 1948
acting to 14 June 1948		 14 March 1953
(died in office)		 KSČ
6 Antonín Zápotocký 1884–1957 Czech 1953 14 March 1953
acting to 21 March 1953		 13 November 1957
(died in office)		 KSČ
— Viliam Široký 1902–1971 Slovak Acting 13 November 1957 19 November 1957 KSČ
7 Antonín Novotný 1904–1975 Czech 1957
1964		 19 November 1957 22 March 1968 KSČ
— Jozef Lenárt 1923–2004 Slovak Acting 22 March 1968 30 March 1968 KSČ
8 Ludvík Svoboda 1895–1979 Czech 1968
1973		 30 March 1968 28 October 1975 KSČ
9 Gustáv Husák 1913–1991 Slovak 1975
1980
1985		 29 October 1975 10 December 1989 KSČ
— 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
— 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
1 Klement Gottwald 1896–1953 Czech February 1948 14 March 1953
2 Antonín Novotný 1904–1975 Czech 14 March 1953 5 January 1968
3 Alexander Dubček 1921–1992 Slovak 5 January 1968 17 April 1969
4 Gustáv Husák 1913–1991 Slovak 17 April 1969 17 December 1987
5 Miloš Jakeš 1922- Czech 17 December 1987 24 November 1989
6 Karel Urbánek 1941- Czech 24 November 1989 20 December 1989

Timeline
Václav HavelGustáv HusákLudvík SvobodaAntonín NovotnýAntonín ZápotockýKlement GottwaldEdvard BenešEmil HáchaEdvard BenešTomáš Garrigue Masaryk

Presidential Standards
  • 1918–1939, 1945–1960
  • 1960–1990
  • 1990–1992

References
  1. Rare 1943 Third Reich facts booklet
  2. Heavily illustrated rare big original 1943 Nazi book on Eastern Europe and Asia Archived 2009-04-10 at the Wayback Machine

See also
Czechoslovakia
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Czechoslovakia
Administrative divisions
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