View source for List of presidents of Czechoslovakia

{{Short description|none}} <!-- This short description is INTENTIONALLY "none" - please see WP:SDNONE before you consider changing it! -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox official post
| post                     = President
| body                     = <br />Czechoslovakia
| native_name              = {{small|{{native name|cs|Prezident Československa}}<br>{{native name|sk|Prezident Česko-Slovenska}}}}
| insignia                 = 
| insigniasize             = 
| insigniacaption          = 
| flag                     = Flag of the President of Czechoslovakia (1918-1939, 1945-1960).svg
| flagsize                 = 
| flagborder               = 
| flagcaption              = [[Presidential standard of the Czech Republic|Presidential Standard (1918–1960)]]
| image                    = Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk 1925.PNG
| imagesize                = 
| imagecaption             = '''Longest serving<br>[[Tomáš Masaryk]]'''<br>14 November 1918 – 14 December 1935
| alt                      = 
| incumbent                = 
| acting                     =
| incumbentsince           = 
| department               = 
| style                    = [[Excellency|His Excellency]]
| type                     = 
| status                   = 
| abbreviation             = 
| member_of                = 
| reports_to               = 
| residence                = [[Prague Castle]]<br />[[Bratislava Castle]]<br>{{small|(1969–92)}}
| seat                     = 
| nominator                = 
| appointer                = [[Federal Assembly (Czechoslovakia)|Federal Assembly]]
| appointer_qualified      = 
| termlength               = 
| termlength_qualified     = 
| constituting_instrument  = 
| precursor                = 
| formation                = {{start date and age|df=y|1918|11|14}}
| first                    = [[Tomáš Masaryk]]
| last                     = [[Václav Havel]]
| abolished                = {{start date and age|df=y|1992|7|20}}
| superseded_by            = {{ubl|[[President of the Czech Republic]]|[[President of Slovakia]]}}
| unofficial_names         = 
| deputy                   = [[List of prime ministers of Czechoslovakia|Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia]] {{small|(1948–1992)}}
| salary                   = 
| website                  = 
}}
The '''president of Czechoslovakia''' ({{langx|cs|prezident Československa}}, {{langx|sk|prezident Česko-Slovenska}}) was the [[head of state]] of  [[Czechoslovakia]], from the [[Origins of Czechoslovakia|creation]] of the [[First Czechoslovak Republic]] in 1918 until the [[Dissolution of Czechoslovakia|dissolution]] of the [[Czech and Slovak Federative Republic]] on 1 January 1993.

In periods when the presidency was vacant, most presidential duties were assumed by the [[List of prime ministers of Czechoslovakia|prime minister]].

The second section lists the leaders of the [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]] (KSČ) from 1948 to 1989. The post was titled as chairman from 1948 to 1953, first secretary from 1953 to 1971, and general secretary from 1971 to 1989. After the [[1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état|1948 coup d'état]], the KSČ's leader held the real [[Executive (government)|executive power]] in the country. However, three party leaders ([[Klement Gottwald]], [[Antonín Novotný]], and [[Gustáv Husák]]) also served as president at some point in their tenures.

==Presidents of Czechoslovakia (1918–1992)==
;''Political parties''
{{legend|{{party color|Czech National Social Party}}|[[Czech National Social Party|Czechoslovak National Social Party]] (ČSNS)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Communist Party of Czechoslovakia}}|[[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]] (KSČ)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{{legend|{{party color|Civic Forum}}|[[Civic Forum]] (OF)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

;''Other factions''
{{legend|{{party color|Independent politician}}|[[Independent politician|Independent]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan=2| Ethnicity
! rowspan=2| Election
! colspan=3| Term of office
! colspan=2 rowspan=2| Political party
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! colspan="11"| [[First Czechoslovak Republic]] (1918–1938)
|-
| 1
| [[File:Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk 1925.PNG|100px]]
| '''[[Tomáš Masaryk]]'''<br>{{small|(1850–1937)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| [[1918 Czechoslovak presidential election|1918]]<br>[[1920 Czechoslovak presidential election|1920]]<br>[[1927 Czechoslovak presidential election|1927]]<br>[[1934 Czechoslovak presidential election|1934]]
| 14 November 1918
| 14 December 1935
| {{ayd|1918|11|14|1935|12|14}}
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}"|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| 
|-
| 2
| [[File:Edvard Beneš.jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Edvard Beneš]]'''<br>{{small|(1884–1948)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| [[1935 Czechoslovak presidential election|1935]]
| 18 December 1935
| 5 October 1938
| {{ayd|1935|12|18|1938|10|5}}
! style="background:{{party color|Czech National Social Party}}"|
| [[Czech National Social Party|Czechoslovak National Social Party]]
| 
|-
! colspan="11"| [[Second Czechoslovak Republic]] (1938–1939)
|-
| 3
| [[File:Emil Hácha 5.jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Emil Hácha]]'''<br>{{small|(1872–1945)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| [[1938 Czechoslovak presidential election|1938]]
| 30 November 1938
| 15 March 1939
| {{ayd|1938|11|30|1939|3|15}}
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}"|
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| 
|-style="background:#FFEEEE;"
|-
| colspan="11" style="background:#FFFFFF;" | '''[[Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)|Occupation]] (1939–1945)'''<br>{{small|[[File:Greater arms of Bohemia and Moravia (1939-1945).svg|25px]] '''[[Emil Hácha]]''' became State President of the ''[[Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia]]'', a ''de iure'' [[Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany#Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia|autonomous region]] incorporated into [[Nazi Germany]].<br>[[File:Middle coat of arms of Czechoslovakia.svg|25px]] '''[[Edvard Beneš]]''' proclaimed himself President of the ''[[Czechoslovak government-in-exile]]'', which was the government of Czechoslovakia recognized by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] during [[World War II]].<br>[[File:Coat of Arms of the Slovak State (1939-1945).svg|25px]] '''[[Jozef Tiso]]''' became President of the quasi-independent, pro-[[Nazism|Nazi]] and [[Clerical fascism|clero-fascist]] ''[[Slovak Republic (1939–1945)|Slovak Republic]]''.<br>[[File:Karptska Ukraina COA.svg|25px]] '''[[Avgustyn Voloshyn]]''' became President of ''[[Carpatho-Ukraine]]'' few days before [[Hungarian invasion of Carpatho-Ukraine|invasion]] and [[Carpathian Ruthenia during World War II|occupation]] by the [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Kingdom of Hungary]].}}
|-
! colspan="11"| [[Third Czechoslovak Republic]] (1945–1948)
|-
| (2)
| [[File:Edvard Beneš.jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Edvard Beneš]]'''<br>{{small|(1884–1948)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| [[1946 Czechoslovak presidential election|1946]]
| 4 April 1945
| 7 June 1948
| {{ayd|1945|4|4|1948|6|7}}
! style="background:{{party color|Czech National Social Party}}"|
| [[Czech National Social Party|Czechoslovak National Social Party]]
| 
|-
! colspan="11"| [[History of Czechoslovakia (1948–1989)|Communist Era]] (1948–1989)<br>{{nobold|{{small|Czechoslovak Republic (1948–1960), [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic]] (1960–1989)}}}}
|-
| 4
| [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R90009, Budapest, II. Weltfestspiele, Festumzug, tschechische Delegation (cropped KG).jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Klement Gottwald]]'''<br>{{small|(1896–1953)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| [[1948 Czechoslovak presidential election|1948]]
| 14 June 1948
| 14 March 1953
| {{ayd|1948|6|14|1953|3|14}}
! style="background:{{party color|Communist Party of Czechoslovakia}}"|
| [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]]
| 
|-
| 5
| [[File:Portret Antonín Zápotocký, Bestanddeelnr 902-7903.jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Antonín Zápotocký]]'''<br>{{small|(1884–1957)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| [[1953 Czechoslovak presidential election|1953]]
| 21 March 1953
| 13 November 1957
| {{ayd|1953|3|21|1957|11|13}}
! style="background:{{party color|Communist Party of Czechoslovakia}}"|
| [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]]
| 
|-
| 6
| [[File:Antonín Novotný 1968.jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Antonín Novotný]]'''<br>{{small|(1904–1975)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| [[1957 Czechoslovak presidential election|1957]]<br>[[1964 Czechoslovak presidential election|1964]]
| 19 November 1957
| 22 March 1968
| {{ayd|1957|11|19|1968|3|22}}
! style="background:{{party color|Communist Party of Czechoslovakia}}"|
| [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]]
| 
|-
| 7
| [[File:Ludvík Svoboda 1968.JPG|100px]]
| '''[[Ludvík Svoboda]]'''<br>{{small|(1895–1979)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| [[1968 Czechoslovak presidential election|1968]]<br>[[1973 Czechoslovak presidential election|1973]]
| 30 March 1968
| 29 May 1975
| {{ayd|1968|3|30|1975|5|29}}
! style="background:{{party color|Communist Party of Czechoslovakia}}"|
| [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]]
| 
|-
| 8
| [[File:Gustáv Husák - oříznuto.JPG|100px]]
| '''[[Gustáv Husák]]'''<br>{{small|(1913–1991)}}
| [[Slovaks|Slovak]]
| [[1975 Czechoslovak presidential election|1975]]<br>[[1980 Czechoslovak presidential election|1980]]<br>[[1985 Czechoslovak presidential election|1985]]
| 29 May 1975
| 10 December 1989
| {{ayd|1975|5|29|1989|12|10}}
! style="background:{{party color|Communist Party of Czechoslovakia}}"|
| [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia]]
| 
|-
! colspan="11"| [[History of Czechoslovakia (1989–1992)|Post–Communist Era]] (1989–1992)<br />{{nobold|{{small|Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1989–1990), [[Czech and Slovak Federative Republic]] (1990–1992)}}}}
|-
| 9
| [[File:Vaclav Havel.jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Václav Havel]]'''<br>{{small|(1936–2011)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| [[1989 Czechoslovak presidential election|1989]]<br>[[1990 Czechoslovak presidential election|1990]]
| 29 December 1989
| 20 July 1992
| {{ayd|1989|12|29|1992|7|20}}
! style="background:{{party color|Civic Forum}}"|
| [[Civic Forum]]
| 
|}

==General secretaries of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (1948–1989)==

Except for the final office-holder, the leader of the KSČ was ''[[de facto]]'' the most powerful person in the country during this period.

Title: Chairman (1948–1953) and first secretary (1953–1971).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan=2| Ethnicity
! colspan=3| Term of office
! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
| 1
| [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R90009, Budapest, II. Weltfestspiele, Festumzug, tschechische Delegation (cropped KG).jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Klement Gottwald]]'''<br>{{small|(1896–1953)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| February 1948
| 14 March 1953
| {{ayd|1948|2|1|1953|3|14}}
| 
|-
| 2
| [[File:Antonín Novotný 1968.jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Antonín Novotný]]'''<br>{{small|(1904–1975)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| 14 March 1953
| 5 January 1968
| {{ayd|1953|3|14|1968|1|5}}
| 
|-
| 3
| [[File:Dubček in 1990 (Fortepan 138485).jpg|100px]]
| '''[[Alexander Dubček]]'''<br>{{small|(1921–1992)}}
| [[Slovaks|Slovak]]
| 5 January 1968
| 17 April 1969
| {{ayd|1968|1|5|1969|4|17}}
| 
|-
| 4
| [[File:Gustáv Husák - oříznuto.JPG|100px]]
| '''[[Gustáv Husák]]'''<br>{{small|(1913–1991)}}
| [[Slovaks|Slovak]]
| 17 April 1969
| 17 December 1987
| {{ayd|1969|4|17|1987|12|17}}
| 
|-
| 5
| [[File:M Jakeš Praha 2014.JPG|100px]]
| '''[[Miloš Jakeš]]'''<br>{{small|(1922–2020)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| 17 December 1987
| 24 November 1989
| {{ayd|1987|12|17|1989|11|24}}
| 
|-
| 6
| [[File:No image.png|100px]]
| '''[[Karel Urbánek]]'''<br>{{small|(born 1941)}}
| [[Czechs|Czech]]
| 24 November 1989
| 20 December 1989
| {{ayd|1989|11|24|1989|12|20}}
| 
|}

==Timeline==
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:950 height:auto barincrement:12
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:80 right:50 left:20
AlignBars = late

Colors =
 id:Independent value:rgb(0.8,0.8,0.8) legend: Independent
 id:CSNS        value:lightorange      legend: Czechoslovak_National_Social_Party
 id:KSC         value:red              legend: Communist_Party_of_Czechoslovakia
 id:OF          value:blue             legend: Civic_Forum

  id:gray1  value:gray(0.85)
  id:gray2  value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1918 till:01/01/1993
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1920
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1918

Legend     = columns:1 left:150 top:40 columnwidth:170
 
TextData =
  pos:(20,45) textcolor:black fontsize:M
  text:"Political affiliation:"

BarData =
  bar:1
  bar:2
  bar:3
  bar:4
  bar:5
  bar:6
  bar:7
  bar:8
  bar:9

PlotData =
  width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

  bar:1
 from: 14/11/1918 till: 14/12/1935 color:Independent text:"[[Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk|Masaryk]]" fontsize:10
  bar:2
 from: 18/12/1935 till: 05/10/1938 color:CSNS
 from: 04/04/1945 till: 07/06/1948 color:CSNS        text:"[[Edvard Beneš|Beneš]]" fontsize:10
  bar:3
 from: 30/11/1938 till: 15/03/1939 color:Independent text:"[[Emil Hácha|Hácha]]" fontsize:10
  bar:4
 from: 14/06/1948 till: 14/03/1953 color:KSC         text:"[[Klement Gottwald|Gottwald]]" fontsize:10
  bar:5
 from: 21/03/1953 till: 13/11/1957 color:KSC         text:"[[Antonín Zápotocký|Zápotocký]]" fontsize:10
  bar:6
 from: 19/11/1957 till: 22/03/1968 color:KSC         text:"[[Antonín Novotný|Novotný]]" fontsize:10
  bar:7
 from: 30/03/1968 till: 28/05/1975 color:KSC         text:"[[Ludvík Svoboda|Svoboda]]" fontsize:10
  bar:8
 from: 29/05/1975 till: 10/12/1989 color:KSC         text:"[[Gustáv Husák|Husák]]" fontsize:10
  bar:9
 from: 29/12/1989 till: 20/07/1992 color:OF          text:"[[Václav Havel|Havel]]" fontsize:10

}}

==Presidential standards==
<gallery class="center">
File:Flag of the President of Czechoslovakia (1918-1939, 1945-1960).svg|1918–1939, 1945–1960
File:Flag of the President of Czechoslovakia (1960–1990).svg|1960–1990
File:Flag of the President of Czechoslovakia (1990–1992).svg|1990–1992
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Politics of Czechoslovakia}}
* [[List of heads of the Czech state]]
** [[List of Bohemian monarchs]]
** [[Lists of political office-holders in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia]]
** [[List of prime ministers of Czechoslovakia]]
** [[President of the Czech Republic]]
*** [[List of presidents of the Czech Republic]]
** [[Prime Minister of the Czech Republic]]
*** [[List of prime ministers of the Czech Republic]]
** [[President of Slovakia]]
** [[Prime Minister of Slovakia]]
* [[List of Czech presidential pets]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Presidents of Czechoslovakia}}
{{First Secretaries of the KSČ}}
{{Czechoslovakia topics}}
{{Heads of state and government of Europe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:List of presidents Of Czechoslovakia}}
[[Category:Lists of national presidents|Czechoslovakia]]
[[Category:Lists of political office-holders in Czechoslovakia]]
[[Category:Presidents of Czechoslovakia| ]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia| ]]
[[Category:Lists of political office-holders in the Czech Republic|Presidents]]
[[Category:Lists of political office-holders in Slovakia|Presidents]]