Milán Václavík | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Minister of Defense | |
In office 11 January 1985 – 3 December 1989 | |
President | Gustáv Husák |
Prime Minister |
Lubomír Štrougal Ladislav Adamec |
Preceded by | Martin Dzúr |
Succeeded by | Miroslav Vacek |
Personal details | |
Born | 28 March 1928 Predmier |
Died | 2 January 2007 Tábor | (aged 78)
Nationality | Slovak |
Political party | Communist Party of Czechoslovakia |
Alma mater | |
Awards |
![]() |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Czechoslovakia |
Rank | Colonel General |
Milán Václavík (28 March 1928 – 2 January 2007) was a Slovak-origin Czechoslovak military officer with the rank of colonel general. He served as defence minister from 1985 to 1989, being the last communist-era defence minister of Czechoslovakia.
Václavík was born in Predmier, Zilina district in Slovakia, on 28 March 1928. [1] [2] He held an engineering degree. [1] In the 1950s he was sent to the Soviet Union for military training and attended the Frunze Military Academy and the General Staff Academy. [1]
Václavík worked as an engineer until 1949 when he joined the Czechoslovak People's Army. [1] In the 1970s he served as deputy commander of the western military district. [1] He was later promoted to the rank of colonel general. [3] He served as first deputy chief of the army General Staff from 1983 to 11 January 1985. [1] [4]
He was appointed defence minister on 11 January 1985, replacing Martin Dzúr in the post. [4] [5] Václavík served in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Lubomír Štrougal under the President Gustáv Husák. [6] Václavík became a member of the central committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia soon after his appointment. [7] He retained his post in the cabinet formed by Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec in October 1988. [8]
On 29 November 1989 Václavík was asked by the Federal Assembly to answer the question to whom the Czechoslovak People's Army was subordinated. [3] In response Václavík stated that it was subordinated to those who supported socialism, leading to concerns among the Czechoslovak parliamentarians. [3] Upon this incident and due to the pressures on the Prime Minister Adamec to relieve him from the post he was removed from office. [3] Then Miroslav Vacek became the new defense minister on 3 December 1989. [9]
Following his removal from office Václavík lost all his credibility due to his support for the continuation of the communist regime in the country. [10] He was prosecuted in January 1996 together with other former major Communist Party figures. All of them were charged with the illegal arming of the militia. [11] [12] In September 1996 Václavík was pardoned by the president Václav Havel because of poor health. [11] [12] Václavík died in 2007.
Milán Václavík | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Minister of Defense | |
In office 11 January 1985 – 3 December 1989 | |
President | Gustáv Husák |
Prime Minister |
Lubomír Štrougal Ladislav Adamec |
Preceded by | Martin Dzúr |
Succeeded by | Miroslav Vacek |
Personal details | |
Born | 28 March 1928 Predmier |
Died | 2 January 2007 Tábor | (aged 78)
Nationality | Slovak |
Political party | Communist Party of Czechoslovakia |
Alma mater | |
Awards |
![]() |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Czechoslovakia |
Rank | Colonel General |
Milán Václavík (28 March 1928 – 2 January 2007) was a Slovak-origin Czechoslovak military officer with the rank of colonel general. He served as defence minister from 1985 to 1989, being the last communist-era defence minister of Czechoslovakia.
Václavík was born in Predmier, Zilina district in Slovakia, on 28 March 1928. [1] [2] He held an engineering degree. [1] In the 1950s he was sent to the Soviet Union for military training and attended the Frunze Military Academy and the General Staff Academy. [1]
Václavík worked as an engineer until 1949 when he joined the Czechoslovak People's Army. [1] In the 1970s he served as deputy commander of the western military district. [1] He was later promoted to the rank of colonel general. [3] He served as first deputy chief of the army General Staff from 1983 to 11 January 1985. [1] [4]
He was appointed defence minister on 11 January 1985, replacing Martin Dzúr in the post. [4] [5] Václavík served in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Lubomír Štrougal under the President Gustáv Husák. [6] Václavík became a member of the central committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia soon after his appointment. [7] He retained his post in the cabinet formed by Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec in October 1988. [8]
On 29 November 1989 Václavík was asked by the Federal Assembly to answer the question to whom the Czechoslovak People's Army was subordinated. [3] In response Václavík stated that it was subordinated to those who supported socialism, leading to concerns among the Czechoslovak parliamentarians. [3] Upon this incident and due to the pressures on the Prime Minister Adamec to relieve him from the post he was removed from office. [3] Then Miroslav Vacek became the new defense minister on 3 December 1989. [9]
Following his removal from office Václavík lost all his credibility due to his support for the continuation of the communist regime in the country. [10] He was prosecuted in January 1996 together with other former major Communist Party figures. All of them were charged with the illegal arming of the militia. [11] [12] In September 1996 Václavík was pardoned by the president Václav Havel because of poor health. [11] [12] Václavík died in 2007.