Alexander Dubček

Profession: Leader of Czechoslovakia

Nationality:

Biography: Alexander Dubček was a Slovak politician who played a key role in the Prague Spring of 1968 as the leader of Czechoslovakia. His attempt to create "socialism with a human face" marked a significant moment in the country's history.

Dubček was born in 1921 and raised in a utopian Esperantist community in the Soviet Union, an experience which shaped his progressive views on socialism. Joining the Communist Party of Slovakia at the young age of 17, Dubček was an active participant in the Slovak National Uprising against the pro-German Slovak state during World War II.

After the conflict, his political career progressed rapidly within the Communist Party. By 1963, he had become First Secretary of the Slovak branch, from where he began to implement a series of liberalizing reforms.

Dubček's vision for a more liberal form of socialism culminated in the Prague Spring in 1968. Ultimately his reforms threatened the Soviet bloc's status quo and prompted a military intervention by the Warsaw Pact in August 1968.

The invasion forced Dubček to halt his reform process and led to his resignation in April 1969. Gustáv Husák succeeded him as the leader and further sidelined Dubček by expelling him from the Communist Party in 1970.

For nearly two decades, Dubček remained out of the political spotlight, symbolizing Eurocommunist ideals and continuing to engage with communist reformers across Europe.

His return to public life came with the Velvet Revolution in 1989, when he was appointed Chairman of the Federal Assembly, serving until 1992. Although he ran for the presidency, he was defeated by Václav Havel and subsequently awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament.

In 1992, however, Dubček's life was cut short by a car accident. At the time of his passing, he was seen as a likely candidate for president of Slovakia.

Born: November 27, 1921
Birthplace: Uhrovec, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia)

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Rooster
Star Sign: Sagittarius

Died: November 7, 1992 (aged 70)
Cause of Death: Injuries sustained in a car crash