As we have already mentioned, Alexandra Dubček's commencement of the top party leader function came as a kind of surprise. The unknown, indistinctive, shy politician well suited those communists who had all the real power in their hands. He was acceptable and on top of that he was a Slovak and that helped to improve his not very good relationship with the Czech neighbour. At that moment nobody suspected that Saša, as he was intimately called by public, will soon become a hero of the nation and subsequently also a symbol of the Prague Spring…

Alexander Dubček was born on 27 November 1921 in Uhrovec, region Topoľčany. His death on 7th November 1922 in Prague was caused by injuries that he had suffered in a car crush.

1925

He moved to the Soveit Union, together with his parents who were members of the Interhelpo cooperative.

1925-1933

He lived in Pišpek (Frunze),Kirghiz.

1933-1938

He lived in Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky), where he went to a college.

1938

(November) he returned to Slovakia.

1938-1940

He got training in lathe operating and between 1941 and 44 he worked in Škoda factory in Dubnice upon Váh.

1939

He became a member of the illegal KSS (Communist Party of Slovakia) and participated in the Communist resistance as did his father Štefan D. (1892-1969).

1944

He participated in the Slovak National Uprising and was injured in the course of rear-guard action.

1945-1949

He worked as a distiller in the yeast plant in Trenčín, at the same time he became involved in the Communist Party of Slovakia.

1949-1951

He was a Secretary and later Chief Secretary of the ÚV KSS (Central Committee of the Slovakian Communist Party) in Trenčín.

1951-1952

Head of the division of the ÚV KSS in Bratislava

1951-1954

Representative of the National Assembly

1952-1955

Studied the PF UKo (Faculty of Law at Comenius University) in Bratislava

1953-1955

Head Secretary of the KV KSS (County Council of KSS) in Banská Bystrica

1955-1958

Studied at the Party University of the ÚV KSSS (Central Committee of the Soviet Union) in Moscow

1958-1970

Member of the ÚV KSS and the ÚV KSČ (Central Committee of the Czech Communist Party)

1958-1960

Head Secretary of the KV KSS in Bratislava

1960-1962

Secretary of the ÚV KSČ,

1960-1969

Representative of the National Assembly

1962-1963

Secretary of the ÚV KSS

1962-1963

Candidate of the ÚV KSČ

1963

He was a member of the so called Kolder Committee of the ÚV KSČ that investigated and was responsible for the completion of party rehabilitations.

1963-1969

(April - September) member of the presidium of the ÚV KSČ

1963-1968

(April - January) the First Secretary of the ÚV KSS

1964-1970

Representative of the SNR (Slovakian National Assembly)

1968-1969

(5.1.1968 - 17.4.1969) First Secretary of the ÚV KSČ

1969-1970

Representative of the FS (Federal Assembly)

Alexander Dubček was one of the representatives of the reform movement in the KSČ in the sixties; he was a leading figure and a symbol of the Prague Spring, enjoying an outstanding popularity in his home country and abroad.

He was a personification of democratisation and humanisation issues that concerned the socialist social and political system of Czechoslovakia. It included the country specifics and traditions and maintained its social and economic nature (The Socialism with the human face).

He tried to defend his program and the first steps that lead to its implementation but the political representation of the Soviet Union and other countries of Warsaw Pact turned it down. Between July and August 1868 he lead the KSČ delegation at the meeting with the ÚV KSSS (Central Committee of the Soviet Union Communist Party) Politburo in Čierna upon Tisa and later also at the meeting of representatives of Soviet communist from the countries belonging to the Soviet bloc that was held in Bratislava.

In the night between 20 and 21.8 1968 he, together with the majority of the ÚV KSČ officials, he opposed the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and condemned it calling it an occupation. After Prague had been occupied he was, together with other leaders, hauled of to the Soviet Union, where he took part in the meeting of the Czechoslovakian and Soviet state representatives that was held in Kremlin. On 26.8 1968 he was pressurised into signing the so called Moscow protocol about the temporary staying of the Soviet army at our territory and about the normalisation of the situation in the Czechoslovakia.

In the following months he tried to stand against the growing pressure of Moscow and its domestic henchmen. Eventually he had to step out from the function of the ÚV KSČ First Secretary and gradually was rid of the possibility to participate on political decisions. From 28.4 until 15.10.1969 he was a chairman of the Federal Assembly and from December 1969 until June 1970 he worked as an ambassador in Turkey. At the end of the September 1969 he was rid of his function as a member of presidium ÚV KSČ, in the January 1970 he was expelled from ÚV KSČ and on 26.6.1970 from KSČ. He was labelled as a leading figure of rightwing and opportunistic groups.

1970-1985

He worked as a technical economic employer of West Slovakian State Forest Company. He retired in 1985. In 70ties and 80ties he kept in touch with the opposition movement and repeatedly criticised normalisation politics, both in letters to Czechoslovakian authorities and in interviews for the foreign press. After the beginning of the Soviet Perestroika he tried to get in touch with M. S. Gorbachov. He developed politically from the reformist communism to the democratic socialism of west European social democrats. In the November 1989 he entered political life again by supporting OF (Civic Forum) and VPN (People Against Violence). He made a speech at manifestations in Bratislava and Prague (24. a 26.11.). From 28.12.1989 until his death he worked as a representative of Slovakian part of the Federal Assembly and from 28.12.1989 until June 1992 he was a chairman of the Federal Assembly. He was at first a political representative of VPN and later on of the Social Democratic Party in Slovakia, becoming its leader in March 1992. He was actively involved in the restoration of the democratic parliament and he campaigned for the preservation of the united Czechoslovakian state. For his socially democratic opinions and for his reform communistic past he was criticised from rightwing liberals and conservatives. He made quite a few journeys abroad and received many significant wards.

1.9.1992

He had a car crash not far from Humpolec and suffered serious injuries as a result. He died two months later in the hospital Na Homolce.