Ladislav Adamec (10 September 1926 – 14 April 2007) was a Czechoslovak communist politician.

Ladislav Adamec
Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia
In office
12 October 1988 – 10 December 1989
PresidentGustáv Husák
Preceded byLubomír Štrougal
Succeeded byMarián Čalfa
4th Prime Minister of the Czech Socialist Republic
In office
20 March 1987 – 12 October 1988
Preceded byJosef Korčák
Succeeded byFrantišek Pitra
Chairman of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
In office
21 December 1989 – 1 September 1990
Preceded byKarel Urbánek
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born(1926-09-10)10 September 1926
Frenštát pod Radhoštěm, Czechoslovakia
Died14 April 2007(2007-04-14) (aged 80)
Prague, Czech Republic
Political partyCommunist Party of Czechoslovakia

Early life

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Adamec was born in Moravia on 10 September 1926.[1]

Career

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Adamec joined the Presidium in March 1987 and served as the prime minister of the Czech Socialist Republic from March 1987 to 1988.[1] Upon the retirement of Prime Minister Lubomír Štrougal on 12 October 1988, he assumed the role, thus serving as the last Communist prime minister of Czechoslovakia.[2][3] He served in the post from 12 October 1988 to 7 December 1989.[1] Marián Čalfa succeeded Adamec as prime minister.[1]

On 20 December, Adamec became general secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. He was the first person to hold that post since the 1940s who was not the de facto leader of the country; the party had given up its monopoly of power on 29 November.

In March 1990, Adamec became the chairman of the Communist Party.[1] The post was created with his appointment.[1]

Velvet Revolution

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The Velvet Revolution lasted from 17 November to 29 December 1989. During the Velvet Revolution student protesters took to the streets of Prague in what became an overthrow of the government. Large demonstrations that occurred on 25 and 26 November, and a public strike on 27 November, pushed the communist regime into holding a conference with the Civic Forum. The Forum demanded that Adamec form a new government—that would include existing political parties and Civic Forum. The federal government under Adamec had been in contact with different leaders since 21 November and on 26 November, Adamec even addressed the crowds on Letná.

Death

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Adamec died on 14 April 2007, at the age of 80.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Dennis Kavanagh (1998). "Adamec, Ladislav". A Dictionary of Political Biography. Oxford University Press. p. 2. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2017.[ISBN missing]
  2. ^ Hochman, Jiří (1998). Historical Dictionary of the Czech State. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. pp. 17. ISBN 978-0-8108-3338-8. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  3. ^ "The Democratic Revolution in Czechoslovakia" (PDF). The National Security Archive. Prague. October 1999. Archived from the original (Briefing Book) on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  4. ^ "Ladislav Adamec, 80, Premier During Czechoslovak Revolution, Dies". The New York Times. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2020.