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Czechoslovak Communist Party (CPCz) leader Klement Gottwald becomes prime minister
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Communists organize wave of mass protests and strikes. Government crisis leaves Communists with majority in government. Benes resigns as president since he had been serving as president in exile in London. Klement Gottwald succeeds him, imposes Stalinist-style rule from 1946-48
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Antonín Zápotocký becomes the prime minster of Czehoslovakia
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Leading Communist figures, including former party Secretary-General Rudolf Slansky, executed having been convicted of treason and espionage at show trials. This is much like Stalin style of government
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Klement Gottwald dies of pneumonia just days after attending Stalin's funeral. Antonin Novotny succeeds him as CPCz leader, Atonin Zapotocky as president.
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Novotny becomes president after Zapotocky's death
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Czechoslovakia communist oarty becomes Czechoslovak Socialist Republic under new constitution
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Alexander Dubcek succeeds Novotny as CPCz leader, embarks on programme of liberalizing reforms known as Prague Spring
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Soviet-led Warsaw Pact troops invade. Dubcek taken to Moscow and forced to make concessions before returning to Prague to make an emotional plea for cooperation in ending the reforms
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Gustav Husak replaces Dubcek as CPCz leader after his abduction
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A group of dissidents published Charter 77 calling for restoration of civil and political rights.
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Milos Jakes replaces Husak as party leader.
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Peaceful mass protests and strikes gain momentum. The Civic Forum, a broad antigovernment coalition, formed. CPCz leadership resigns. Federal Assembly abolishes Communists' constitutional hold on power.
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Marian Calfa becomes prime minister in a government in which the majority of members are non-Communists. Husak resigns as president. Dubcek elected chairman of Federal Assembly. Vaclav Havel elected president
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Country renamed Czech and Slovak Federative Republic. First free elections since 1946 lead to establishment of coalition government involving all major parties with the exception of the CPCz. Havel re-elected president.
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Civic Forum disbanded. Members form two new parties, the conservative Civic Democratic Party (CDP) and the liberal Civic Movement. Legislation allowing privatization of state-owned enterprises approved.
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soviets withdraw from Czech.
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The split of Czechoslovakia into the Czech republic and Slovakia
