Klement Gottwald was a Czech communist politician, who was the leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia from 1929 until his death in 1953 – titled as general secretary until 1945 and as chairman from 1945 to 1953. He was the first leader of Communist Czechoslovakia from 1948 to 1953.
Klement Gottwald in June 1948
Gottwald's identification card during his time in the Comintern, 1935
Celebration of the 2nd World Festival of Youth and Students in August 1949, Budapest, Hungary. The photograph shows the Czechoslovak delegation; left is a portrait of Gottwald, on the right, Stalin.
Gottwald's grave in Prague's Olšany Cemetery
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia was a communist and Marxist–Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992. It was a member of the Comintern. Between 1929 and 1953, it was led by Klement Gottwald. The KSČ was the sole governing party in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic though it was a leading party along with the Slovak branch and four other legally permitted non-communist parties. After its election victory in 1946, it seized power in the 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état and established a one-party state allied with the Soviet Union. Nationalization of virtually all private enterprises followed, and a command economy was implemented.
Klement Gottwald, leader of the party from 1929 until his death in 1953
Gustáv Husák, leader of the party between 1969–87 and president of Czechoslovakia in 1975–89
Milos Jakeš, the last communist leader (1987–89), a target of folk humor
Image: Muna, Alois
