Klement Gottwald

For the minor fictional character in The Hot War, see Klement Gottwald (Fictional Character)

Klement Gottwald (23 November 1896 – 14 March 1953) was a Czechoslovak communist politician and longtime leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ). He was Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia from 1946 to 1948 and President from 1948 to 1953. A willing puppet of Joseph Stalin, Gottwald came to power through a political coup in 1948, using the implicit threat of Soviet military intervention to force incumbent President Edvard Beneš to cede power to the communists and ultimately resign. At Stalin's direction, Gottwald introduced purges and tightened his grip on the country.

Gottwald remained devoted to Stalin until the end. He'd had a history of heart disease. On March 9, 1953, after attending Stalin's funeral, one of Gottwald's arteries burst, and he died on March 14.

Klement Gottwald in The Hot War
Klement Gottwald ruled Czechoslovakia in the early part of World War III. It was understood, however, that Gottwald was behold to Joseph Stalin, as Czechoslovakia still hadn't gotten used to communist rule.