Jan Garrigue Masaryk

Entered the Czechoslovak foreign service in 1919 and served as minister to London from 1925 to 1938. In 1940, he became foreign minister of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile. When the government returned to Czechoslovakia after World War II (1939-1945), Masaryk kept the post of foreign minister. He fought a losing battle from 1945 to 1948 against the increasing level of Communist domination of Czechoslovakia.

Masaryk died mysteriously in 1948. His body was found in a courtyard, three stories under his apartment window in Prague. It has never been determined whether he was murdered or killed himself in protest against the Communist seizure of the government in February 1948. He was born in Prague.

R. V. Burks, "Masaryk," Discovery Channel School, original content provided by World Book Online, http://www.discoveryschool.com/homeworkhelp/worldbook/atozhistory/m... .html, 9/19/01.

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Czech politician. As foreign minister in the post World War II Czechoslovak government, Masaryk embraced the Marshall Plan and publicly announced Czechoslovakia's desire to participate. Stalin, however, called for meetings ( and told Masaryk that Czechoslovakia must refuse to participate. Masaryk said, "I left for Moscow as the minister of foreign affairs of a sovereign state. I am returning as Stalin's stooge." After the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia (February 25, 1948), Masaryk remained foreign minister until his death on March 10, 1948, at age 61. Masaryk's death is controversial: the Czechoslovak Communist Party and some scholars argue that Masaryk committed suicide by falling out of a window of the Foreign Ministry, while other scholars argue that he was murdered for political reasons by being pushed out of the window at Stalin's behest. (bio by: Erik Lander)

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