Gustáv Husák facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gustáv Husák
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Husák c. 1980s
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| First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia | |
| In office 17 April 1969 – 17 December 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Dubček |
| Succeeded by | Miloš Jakeš |
| President of Czechoslovakia | |
| In office 29 May 1975 – 10 December 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Ludvík Svoboda |
| Succeeded by | Václav Havel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 January 1913 Dúbravka, Hungary, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 18 November 1991 (aged 78) Bratislava, Czechoslovakia |
| Resting place | Cimetière de Dúbravka, Bratislava |
| Political party | Communist Party of Czechoslovakia |
| Spouse |
Magda Husáková-Lokvencová
(m. 1938; div. 1967)Viera Husáková-Čáslavská
(m. 1975; died 1977) |
| Children | 2, Vladimír (*1944) and Ján (1946 - 2004) |
| Alma mater | Comenius University |
| Signature | |
Gustáv Husák (born January 10, 1913 – died November 18, 1991) was an important politician in Czechoslovakia. He led the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia for a long time, from 1969 to 1987. He also served as the President of Czechoslovakia from 1975 to 1989.
His time in power is often called the period of Normalization. This was a time when the government tried to bring things back to how they were before the Prague Spring reforms.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gustáv Husák was born in Dúbravka, which is now part of Bratislava, Slovakia. His father was a worker who did not have a job. When he was 16, Husák joined the Communist Youth Union while studying at school in Bratislava.
In 1933, he started studying law at Comenius University in Bratislava. That same year, he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ). This party was banned from 1938 to 1945.
World War II Activities
During World War II, Husák was put in jail several times by the government of Jozef Tiso. This was because he was involved in illegal Communist activities. He became one of the leaders of the Slovak National Uprising in 1944. This uprising was against Nazi Germany and the Tiso government.
After the war, Husák became a government official in Slovakia. He also worked as a party leader in Czechoslovakia. From 1946 to 1950, he led the local government in Slovakia. He helped the Communist Party gain more power in Slovakia.
Imprisonment and Rehabilitation
In 1950, Husák faced serious problems within the party. He was accused of being against the party's ideas and was sentenced to life in prison. He spent six years in Leopoldov Prison from 1954 to 1960. Even while in prison, he believed he was innocent and wrote letters to the party leaders.
In 1963, his conviction was overturned, meaning it was canceled. He was allowed to rejoin the Communist Party. By 1967, he started to criticize the party's leadership. In April 1968, during the Prague Spring, he became a vice-premier of Czechoslovakia. He was in charge of reforms in Slovakia under the new party leader, Alexander Dubček.
Leading Czechoslovakia
In 1968, the Soviet Union became worried about the new, more open reforms happening in Czechoslovakia. This period was known as the Prague Spring. At first, Husák supported these reforms. But as the Soviet Union grew more concerned, he began to suggest being more careful.
After the Soviet Invasion
After the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in August 1968, Husák took part in talks with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Husák then changed his mind and became a leader among those who wanted to reverse Dubček's reforms. He argued that Czechoslovakia had no allies to help against the Soviet troops.
With support from Moscow, he became the leader of the Communist Party of Slovakia in August 1968. In April 1969, he took over from Dubček as the top leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. He stopped Dubček's reforms and removed party members who supported them.
In 1975, Husák was elected President of Czechoslovakia. For about 20 years, under Husák's leadership, Czechoslovakia was one of the Soviet Union's closest allies.
Life Under Husák's Rule
In the first few years after the invasion, Husák tried to keep people calm. He made sure people had a fairly good standard of living. His government was not as harsh as the very early years of Communist rule. However, people's rights were more limited than in some other Communist countries.
The secret police (called the StB) targeted people who spoke out against the government. This included groups like Charter 77 and many other individuals. This control became stronger as Husák's rule continued.
In the early 1970s, Husák allowed those who had been removed from the party after the Prague Spring to rejoin. But they had to publicly say they no longer supported the reforms.
End of His Leadership
In the 1980s, there was a debate within the party leadership. Some wanted to adopt reforms similar to those in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev. Others, called hardliners, were against any changes. Husák remained neutral for a while. In April 1987, he announced a small reform program.
Later that year, Husák stepped down as the top party leader. Miloš Jakeš took his place. This was because there was a desire for younger leaders to share power.
On November 24, 1989, the entire leadership of the Communist Party, including Husák, resigned. This happened during the Velvet Revolution, a peaceful change in government. The party officially gave up power four days later. On December 10, Husák swore in a new government. This government had a majority of non-communists for the first time in 41 years. He resigned as President later that same day. In February 1990, the Communist Party removed him from the party.
Gustáv Husák died on November 18, 1991, at the age of 78. He was buried in Dúbravka, Bratislava.
Legacy and Awards
After the fall of communism, Husák said he was only trying to lessen the impact of the Soviet invasion. He claimed he had to resist pressure from hardline Communists. However, many believe he played a big part in keeping the Communist government in power for so long. As the leader of the party, he was in charge of the state's control over people. Many people who were treated unfairly appealed to him, but he rarely helped them.
Gustáv Husák gave himself the title Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic three times. He received this honor in 1969, 1973, and 1982. In 1983, he was also given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Some stories say that Husák, who had been an atheist, confessed to a Catholic priest before he died. It is said that he received a religious ceremony from a Catholic archbishop on his deathbed in 1991. However, some historians believe this story is not true.
Awards and Honors
Czechoslovakia:
Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, three times (1969, 1972, 1982)
Order of Klement Gottwald, four times
Order of Victorious February
Soviet Union:
Hero of the Soviet Union (1983)
Orders of Lenin, four times (1969, 1973, 1983, 1988)
Order of the October Revolution (1978)
Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1969)
- Other countries:
Grand Cross of the Order of May (Argentina)
Order of Georgi Dimitrov, twice (Bulgaria)
Order of the Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria)
Order of Jose Marti (Cuba)
Order of Playa Girón (Cuba)
Order of Karl Marx, twice (East Germany)
Grand Cross of the White Rose of Finland (Finland)
Order of the Flag of the Republic of Hungary (Hungary)
Order of Pahlavi (Iran)
Order of Sukhbaatar, thrice (Mongolia)
Order of the National Flag 1st class, twice (North Korea)
Order of the Grand Cross of the Rebirth of Poland (Poland)
Order of the Star of the Romanian Socialist Republic 1st class (Romania)
Order of Victory of Socialism (Romania)
Order of Civil Merit (Syria)
See also
In Spanish: Gustáv Husák para niños
- Husakism
- Husák's Children
- History of Czechoslovakia
- Lennon Wall