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Rudolf Beran (December 28, 1887, Pracejovice, Strakonice District – April 23, 1954, Leopoldov Prison) was a Czechoslovakian politician who served as prime minister of the country before its occupation by Nazi Germany and shortly thereafter, before it was declared a protectorate. A leader of the Agrarian Party from 1933, he was appointed prime minister by President Emil Hácha on December 1, 1938.
Beran was somewhat ambivalent toward democracy. In hopes of appeasing the Germans after the Munich Agreement, he gathered most of the country's nonsocialist parties into the Party of National Unity, with himself as its leader. He also subjected the press to tough censorship. He did, however, preside over granting the Slovaks and Ruthenians' longstanding demands for autonomy. None of these measures were enough to prevent Slovakia from seceding on March 14, or Germany from occupying the remainder of the country a day later. He then served as the first prime minister of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia until his retirement on April 27, 1939. After he retired, he settled on his farm. During World War II, he had contacts with members of the Czech resistance.
After the war, Beran was arrested as a collaborator by the Communist authorities, and in a manipulated political trial was sentenced to twenty years in prison. He died in Leopoldov prison in 1954.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byJan Syrový | Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia 1938–1939 |
Succeeded byAlois Eliáš (Protectorate) Jan Šrámek (in exile) |
External links
- Members of Beran's government before occupation, 1.12.1938 - 15.3.1939 Template:Cs icon
- Members of Beran's government after the occupation, 16.3.1939 - 27.4.1939 Template:Cs icon
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- 1887 births
- 1954 deaths
- People from Strakonice District
- Republican Party of Agricultural and Smallholder People politicians
- Prime Ministers of Czechoslovakia
- Czech people of World War II
- Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
- Prisoners and detainees of Czechoslovakia
- Czechoslovak prisoners and detainees
- Czech politician stubs