Communists Lose Grip on Czechoslovakia - December 1989

Communist domination of Czechoslovakia ended in December. In the wake of November's massive demonstrations, Premier Ladislav Adamec unveiled a new cabinet, December 3, but the opposition Civic Forum rejected it because 16 of the 21 positions were still to be filled by Communists. Adamec resigned, December 7, and Pres. Gustav Husak named Marian Calfa to replace him. The new cabinet, announced December 7, had only 10 (of 21) Communists. In conversations with the Civic Forum, December 8, the Communists agree to relinquish power. Husak, who had run the country for more than 20 years as Communist leader and president, resigned as president, December 10. A hard-liner, he had come to power after Russian tanks crushed a reform movement in 1968. Vaclav Havel, a dissident playwright, and Alexander Dubcek, who had headed the 1968 reform movement, both declared their candidacies for president. The Communist Party, December 20, replaced Karel Urbanek as its leader with Adamec. Parliament, December 28, elected Dubcek as its speaker and on December 29, it elected Havel president without opposition.