Czechoslovakia – The coup in 1948 and the cold war

1. Czechoslovakia –The coup in 1948 and the cold war • Bismarck: ”He who governs Morovia, he governs Europe”. • Czechoslovakia is situated in the center of our continent. Control of this country is important for any big power with great ambitions.

2. The Soviet ruler • 1948 – Stalin ruled the Soviet empire. • In the Soviet Union all opposition forces had been killed, in jail or in camps.

3. Czechoslovakia after the war • The republic was founded in 1918 as a democratic republic. • After the collapse of Germany in 1945, the country once again became a democracy. • Edvard Benes returned from exile and regained his position as president. • Jan Masaryk, the son of the founder of the republic, was appointed foreign minister.

4. But the communist party was strong... • In 1946 after an election, the communist party came out as the strongest party in parliament. • Leader of the party, Klement Gottwald, was appointed premier of the government.

5. Prague in February 1948 • Winter of 1948 the communists began to loose popularity. • Non-communists wanted to arrange new elections, and hoped to remove communists from government. • Stalin told Czechoslovakia not to recieve Marshall aid from the United States.

6. The coup begins • Beginning of February – the communist minister of interior replaces non-communist police officials with his own people. • 17. of February – non-communists in the government resign as a protest. • 19. of February – the communist party secretary Rudolf Slansky (l) gives order to mobilize all it’s forces (r).

7. The great demonstration • 21. of February – the communists mobilize and arrange a big demonstration in the center of Prague. • Party boss Gottwald makes a speech and condemns ”reactionary forces”, which meant non-communists in the government.

8. The communists take control • Klement Gottwald announces a new government with people loyal to the communist party. • The night of February 23., the communists occupy all central buildings in Prague with their own people. • 25. of February – president Benes declares the new government as legal. • The coup had succeeded.

9. Consequences of the coup • The cold war became colder. • Czechoslovakia had been democratic – and was now communistic. • Western European countries were convinced that Stalin wanted to take over Europe. • 1949 – NATO is founded.

10. The Prague coup and Norway • The coup in Prague made a big impression also in Norway. • February 29. Einar Gerhardsen makes his famous speech at Kråkerøy outside Fredrikstad. • He said that the communist party of Norway, after the coup in Prague, was a threat to Norwegian security. • Norway joined NATO in 1949, partly as a result of the communist take-over in Czechoslovakia.

11. 1989 – Czechs and Slovaks are free • Communist rule ended in Czechoslovakia in November-December 1989. • Together with the fall of the Berlin wall, it marked the end of the cold war.

12. Sources • ''Verdenshistorien etter 1945, menneskenes liv og historie, duellen uten ende'' by Erling Bjøl • My father, Halvor Tjønn