Constituent National Assembly (Czechoslovakia)

The Constituent National Assembly (Czech and Slovak: Ústavodárné Národní shromáždění) was a legislative body in Czechoslovakia established after World War II. Its primary purpose was to draft and adopt a new constitution for the country.

Following the liberation of Czechoslovakia in 1945, provisional legislative power was initially held by the Provisional National Assembly. The Constituent National Assembly was elected in the 1946 Czechoslovak parliamentary election, the first election held after the war. While considered a democratic election, it was heavily influenced by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ), which emerged as the largest party.

The Assembly was bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. However, the Senate was abolished in 1948.

The main achievement of the Constituent National Assembly was the adoption of the Ninth of May Constitution in 1948. This constitution, named for the date of its adoption, formally established Czechoslovakia as a People's Republic, marking a significant step towards Communist control. The constitution enshrined principles of socialist democracy, nationalization of key industries, and collectivization of agriculture.

Following the adoption of the Ninth of May Constitution, the Constituent National Assembly was replaced by the National Assembly, a legislative body more firmly under the control of the Communist Party.