Jan Šrámek (11 August 1870 – 22 April 1956) was the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

of the

Czechoslovak government-in-exile The Czechoslovak government-in-exile, sometimes styled officially as the Provisional Government of Czechoslovakia ( cz, Prozatímní vláda Československa, sk, Dočasná vláda Československa), was an informal title conferred upon the Czechos ...

from 21 July 1940 to 5 April 1945. He was the first chairman of the

Czechoslovak People's Party Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) ** Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) **Fourth Czechoslovak Repu ...

and was a

Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

in the Catholic church. From 1945 on Czechoslovakia was ruled by the Communist-dominated National Front which also included Šrámek's People's Party. Šrámek and the rest of his coalition worried about the increasing role of the Communist Party. In 1947, the popular support for the Communists started to diminish. To consolidate power, the Communists carried out a coup in February 1948. Šrámek had to resign as the chairman of the People's Party. His successor, Rostislav Petr, and Josef Plojhar, a "strong man" in the People's Party, supported unconditional collaboration with the Communists.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sramek, Jan 1870 births 1956 deaths People from Olomouc District People from the Margraviate of Moravia 19th-century Czech Roman Catholic priests Leaders of KDU-ČSL Party of National Unity (Czechoslovakia) politicians Prime Ministers of Czechoslovakia Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1907–1911) Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1911–1918) Members of the Moravian Diet Members of the Revolutionary National Assembly of Czechoslovakia Members of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechoslovakia (1920–1925) Members of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechoslovakia (1925–1929) Members of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechoslovakia (1929–1935) Members of the Chamber of Deputies of Czechoslovakia (1935–1939) Members of the Interim National Assembly of Czechoslovakia Members of the Constituent National Assembly of Czechoslovakia Palacký University Olomouc alumni Recipients of the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk KDU-ČSL prime ministers Government ministers of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile