Rudolf Slánský

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Rudolf Slánský (31 July 1901 – 3 December 1952) was a leading Czech communist politician. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia immediately after World War II, he was one of the leading organizers of the party's rule from 1948. Following the Tito-Stalin split, a wave of purges occurred in the ruling communist parties of Eastern Europe designed to ensure alignment to the Soviet Union. In Czechoslovakia, Slánský was one of 14 leaders arrested in 1951 and tortured into confessing "crimes". Put on show trial in November 1952, after eight days he was convicted of high treason and along with 10 others sentenced to death. Slánský was executed five days later in December 1952.

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