Miloš Jakeš facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miloš Jakeš
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Miloš Jakeš in Prague on 1 May 2014
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| First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia | |
| In office 17 December 1987 – 24 November 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Gustáv Husák |
| Succeeded by | Karel Urbánek |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 August 1922 České Chalupy, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) |
| Died | 10 July 2020 (aged 97) Prague, Czech Republic |
| Political party | Communist Party of Czechoslovakia |
| Spouse |
Květena Jakešová
(m. 1943; died 2013) |
Miloš Jakeš (born August 12, 1922 – died July 10, 2020) was a politician from the Czech Republic. He was the main leader of the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia from 1987 to 1989.
He stepped down from his role in November 1989 during a big change called the Velvet Revolution. This event led to the end of communist rule in Czechoslovakia.
Early Life and Career
Miloš Jakeš was born in České Chalupy, a village that is now part of Nová Ves in the Czech Republic. He grew up in a humble family in the Bohemian Forest area.
From 1937 to 1950, he worked at the Bata Shoes factory in Zlín. After World War II, he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. This was the start of his steady rise in politics.
In 1955, he began studying at a special college for party members in Moscow. After finishing his studies in 1958, his career continued to grow. Even during the Prague Spring in 1968, a time of political changes, his career was not affected.
After the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia, Jakeš helped remove people from power who were seen as a threat to the Communist Party. This period was known as "normalization".
Becoming Party Leader
In December 1987, the previous leader, Gustáv Husák, was removed from his position. Miloš Jakeš was then chosen to become the new General Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
When he took power, Jakeš said he supported ideas like glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). These were reforms happening in the Soviet Union at the time.
However, Jakeš did not want to talk with the groups in Czechoslovakia who wanted more changes. Even when the Velvet Revolution began, he refused to have serious discussions with the opposition.
Events moved very quickly. On November 24, 1989, Jakeš and the entire party leadership resigned. The Communist Party officially gave up power just four days later.
It was later found out that his real first name was Milouš, not Miloš, which he had used publicly.
Famous Speech in Červený Hrádek
Miloš Jakeš became well-known for a speech he gave to party workers in Červený Hrádek, near Plzeň. He was talking about the need for "perestroika," which was inspired by Mikhail Gorbachev.
In his speech, he said that he and the party felt like a "lonely pole plank" trying to deal with many difficulties. He also made a mistake, saying "boiler" instead of "broiler" (a type of chicken).
He also spoke in a very casual way about some Czech pop singers, saying they earned too much money. A journalist secretly recorded this speech. The recording was widely shared among people in the summer of 1989 and became very popular.
Later Years
After leaving power, Jakeš lived in Prague as a regular retired person. He often attended meetings and rallies held by present-day communist groups.
He wrote a book titled Two Years as the General Secretary. In this book, he compared the 40 years of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia to the Hussite period in the nation's history.
Miloš Jakeš passed away on July 10, 2020, at the age of 97.
