Edvard Beneš
Edvard Beneš (Czech pronunciation: [ˈɛdvard ˈbɛnɛʃ] ⓘ; 28 May 1884 – 3 September 1948) was a Czech politician and statesman who served as the president of Czechoslovakia from 1935 to 1938, and again from 1939 to 1948. During the first six years of his second stint, he led the Czechoslovak government-in-exile during World War II.
Edvard Beneš | |
|---|---|
Beneš c. 1942 | |
| President of Czechoslovakia | |
| In office 2 April 1945 – 7 June 1948 | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Himself as president in exile |
| Succeeded by | Klement Gottwald |
| In exile 17 October 1939 – 2 April 1945 | |
| Prime Minister | Jan Šrámek |
| In office 18 December 1935 – 5 October 1938 | |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Tomáš Masaryk |
| Succeeded by | Emil Hácha |
| 4th Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia | |
| In office 26 September 1921 – 7 October 1922 | |
| President | Tomáš Masaryk |
| Preceded by | Jan Černý |
| Succeeded by | Antonín Švehla |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 14 November 1918 – 18 December 1935 | |
| Prime Minister | Karel Kramář Vlastimil Tusar Jan Černý Himself Antonín Švehla František Udržal Jan Malypetr Milan Hodža |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Milan Hodža |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 May 1884 Kožlany, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 3 September 1948 (aged 64) Sezimovo Ústí, Czechoslovakia |
| Nationality | Czech |
| Political party | |
| Spouse |
Hana Benešová (m. 1909) |
| Alma mater |
|
| Signature | |
As president, Beneš faced two major crises, which both resulted in his resignation. His first resignation came after the Munich Agreement and subsequent German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938, which resulted in his government's exile in the United Kingdom. The second came about with the 1948 Communist coup, which created a Communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Before his time as president, Beneš was also the first foreign affairs minister (1918–1935) and the fourth prime minister (1921–1922) of Czechoslovakia. The de facto leader of the Czech National Social Party, he was known as a skilled diplomat.