Gustáv Husák Biography

Gustav Husak was a Slovak politician who served as the President of Czechoslovakia from 1975 to 1989. A staunch Communist, he had been long associated with the Communist Party in Slovakia and rose in prominence following the Soviet bloc invasion which ended the Prague Spring of 1968. He was interested in politics from a young age and joined the Communist Youth Union at the age of 16 when he was just a school student. Over the years, his interest in politics grew manifold and he became involved in underground communist activities after completing his legal studies. He was a passionate anti-fascist; he emerged as one of the leaders of the Slovak uprising against a Nazi-puppet government in 1944. He was also arrested for his political activities, but nothing thwarted the ambitions of this young man who remained loyal to his cause with a steadfast devotion. He was imprisoned for several years for opposing Josef Stalin, but ever the resilient soul, he established himself politically following his release. He eventually became the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, a post he held for almost two decades. He became the President of Czechoslovakia in 1975 and served in this position until 1989. His rule is known as the period of the so-called "Normalization"