Antonín Zápotocký

Antonín Zápotocký ( born December 19, 1884 in Zákolany in Kladno, Bohemia, † November 13, 1957 in Prague ) was a Czechoslovak trade union leader, politician and author. Zápotocký was the second communist president of Czechoslovakia.

Career

Zápotocký was first union official, then from 1922-25 General Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party. Shortly after the occupation of Czechoslovakia by German troops ( March 1939 ) he was arrested; 1940 to 1945 he was in the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen.

Later [ when? ] He became chairman of the trade union federation.

In February 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia took over the power in the Czechoslovak Republic ( " February revolution "). Because the new constitution Beneš refused to sign the May 1948 he resigned, and Klement Gottwald ( the board since February 1948 his second government ) was President.

Zápotocký was successor of Gottwald as Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia; he led the Antonín Zápotocký government. Gottwald died on March 14, 1953 ( a week after Stalin ); Zápotocký was elected by the National Assembly on 21 March 1953 to the President.

New Prime Minister was Viliam Široký (1902-1971 ). His government remained until December 12, 1954 at the office. The political show trials lasted; on 21./24. April 1954 was the trial of the so-called " bourgeois nationalists " instead ( the main defendant: , Gustav Husak ).

After the parliamentary elections in 1954, the government followed this Viliam Široký II remained until July 11, 1960 at the Office; followed her Viliam Široký III ( 20th September 1963) Government. Široký succeeded so to stay on the stage of de-Stalinization and the thaw of time in power.

Antonín Novotný was founded in 1953 as the successor to First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia by Gottwald. Novotný practiced a relatively repressive course and had backing from the Soviet Union; Zápotocký had to give him power.

Zápotocký died in November 1957 at the office.

Honors

In the GDR, a fdgb holiday home was named after him in Bad Schandau and others.

Works (selection)

• The tumultuous year 1905. Reminder novel. Dietz - Verlag, Berlin, 1952