The Communist Takeover

Take a look at this square. Centuries of history surround you. But nothing changed this country faster than what happened here in February 1948. On February 20, twelve ministers walked out of government. They wanted to force new elections. The Communists were losing popularity, down to 25% in polls. Instead of backing down, party leader Klement Gottwald did the opposite. He mobilized. Within 48 hours, armed workers took over the streets. Trade unions called a general strike. 2.5 million people stopped working. Armed militias, trained and equipped by Moscow, occupied offices across the country. On February 21, tens of thousands flooded this square and nearby Wenceslas Square. The pressure worked. On February 25, President Beneš gave in. At 4:15 PM, he accepted the resignations and appointed a Communist government. That evening, Gottwald stood on the balcony of Kinský Palace on this square and announced victory to over 100,000 cheering supporters. The West called it a bloodless coup. Nobody fired a shot. But what followed was anything but peaceful. Within days, portraits of Stalin appeared in every school. 200,000 people would end up in prison or labor camps. Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk fell or was pushed from his office window two weeks later.