22 Facts About Klement Gottwald

Klement Gottwald was the first leader of Communist Czechoslovakia from 1948 to 1953.

In 1943, Klement Gottwald agreed with representatives of the Czechoslovak-government-in-exile located in London, along with President Edvard Benes, to unify domestic and foreign anti-fascist resistance and form the National Front.

Klement Gottwald was the 14th prime minister of Czechoslovakia from July 1946 until June 1948, the first Communist to hold the post.

Klement Gottwald was born either in Heroltice or Dedice as the illegitimate son of a poor peasantwoman.

Klement Gottwald was married to Marta Gottwaldova who, like him, came from a poor family and was an illegitimate child.

From 1915 to 1918 Klement Gottwald was a soldier in the Austro-Hungarian Army.

In 1926, Klement Gottwald became a functionary of the Communist Party, and editor of the Communist Press.

In February 1929, at the Fifth Congress of the KSC, Klement Gottwald was elected party general secretary, alongside Guttmann, Sverma, Slansky, Kopecky and the Reimans.

In September and October 1938, Klement Gottwald was one of the main leaders of the opposition against the adoption of the Munich Agreement.

In 1943, Klement Gottwald agreed with representatives of the Czechoslovak-government-in-exile located in London, along with President Edvard Benes, to unify domestic and foreign anti-fascist resistance and form the National Front.

In 1945, Klement Gottwald gave up the general secretary's post to Rudolf Slansky and was elected to the new position of party chairman.

On 10 May 1945, Klement Gottwald returned to Prague as the deputy premier under Zdenek Fierlinger and as the chairman of the National Front.

The Communists' dwindling popularity, combined with France and Italy dropping the Communists from their coalition governments, prompted Joseph Stalin to order Klement Gottwald to begin efforts to eliminate parliamentary opposition to Communism in Czechoslovakia.

Klement Gottwald accepted the resignations of the non-Communist ministers and appointed a new government in accordance with Gottwald's specifications.

From this date forward, Klement Gottwald was effectively the most powerful man in Czechoslovakia.

Under his direction, Klement Gottwald imposed the Stalinist Soviet model of government on the country.

Klement Gottwald nationalized the country's industry and collectivized its farms.

Klement Gottwald was a long-time alcoholic and suffered from heart disease caused by syphilis that had gone untreated for several years.

Klement Gottwald died five days later on 14 March 1953, aged 56.

Klement Gottwald was the first Czechoslovak president to die in office.

Klement Gottwald's body was cremated, the ashes returned to the Zizka Monument and placed in a sarcophagus.

Klement Gottwald was succeeded as de facto leader of Czechoslovakia by Antonin Novotny, who became First Secretary of the KSC.