Milán Václavík

Milán Václavík (28 March 1928 – 2 January 2007) was a Slovak-origin Czechoslovak military officer with the rank of colonel general. He served as defence minister from 1985 to 1989, being the last communist-era defence minister of Czechoslovakia.

Early life Václavík was born in Predmier, Zilina district in Slovakia, on 28 March 1928. He held an engineering degree. He served as first deputy chief of the army General Staff from 1983 to 11 January 1985. Václavík served in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Lubomír Štrougal under the President Gustáv Husák. Václavík became a member of the central committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia soon after his appointment. He retained his post in the cabinet formed by Prime Minister Ladislav Adamec in October 1988.

On 29 November 1989 Václavík was asked by the Federal Assembly to answer the question to whom the Czechoslovak People's Army was subordinated.

Later years and death Following his removal from office Václavík lost all his credibility due to his support for the continuation of the communist regime in the country. He was prosecuted in January 1996 together with other former major Communist Party figures. All of them were charged with the illegal arming of the militia. In September 1996 Václavík was pardoned by the president Václav Havel because of poor health. Václavík died in 2007.