Conspicuous among the grim, worried satellite leaders who journeyed to Moscow for Stalin's funeral was Klement Gottwald, 56, President of Czechoslovakia, chairman and secretary general of the Czechoslovak Communist Party. Of all Western Communists, Gottwald stood closest to new Soviet Boss Malenkov during the funeral ceremonies; only Chou En-lai of Red China stood closer. Although, in Moscow's view, Gottwald was merely a tried and trusty puppet, to the Czechs he was an absolute boss and tyrant. He had in his hands the government, the party, the army, the police. Four months ago he had hanged the last of his visible...
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