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| 1948, Feb. 25 |
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COMMUNIST COUP. The Communists, having infiltrated most government services and trade unions, and enjoying Soviet support, threatened a coup d'état and thus secured President Bene 's signature to a predominantly Communist government under Gottwald. In a drastic purge, lasting several months, democratic Czechoslovakia was transformed into a Communist-run people's democracy and a Soviet satellite. | 1 |
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| March 10 |
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| Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk was killed in a fall from his office window; reported as suicide. | 2 |
| All industrial firms, banks, and retail trade companies were nationalized. In addition, all estates of more than 50 hectares were confiscated, without compensation to the owners. | 3 |
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| May 9 |
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| The National Assembly adopted a new constitution. | 4 |
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| May 30 |
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| National elections resulted in a victory for the single list of candidates from the Communist-dominated National Front. | 5 |
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| June 7 |
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| President Bene resigned on grounds of ill health. He died on Sept. 3. | 6 |
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| June 14 |
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| KLEMENT GOTTWALD was elected president. | 7 |
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| June 27 |
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| The Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party was forced to merge with the Communist Party. | 8 |
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| Oct. 25 |
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| Forced-labor camps were set up to punish reactionaries and saboteurs. | 9 |
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