Jakeš, Miloš

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Czech communist politician, a member of the Politburo from 1981 and party leader 1987–89. A conservative, he supported the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. He was forced to resign in November 1989 following a series of pro-democracy mass rallies.

Jakeš, an electrical engineer, joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (CCP) 1945 and studied in Moscow 1955–58. As head of the CCP's central control commission, he oversaw the purge of reformist personnel after the suppression of the 1968 Prague Spring. In December 1987 he replaced Gustáv Husák as CCP leader.

Red and white are the national colours, derived from a 13th-century emblem bearing a white eagle on a red field. Effective date: 23 March 1956. >>