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The Ninth-of-May (1948) Constitution was a constitution of Czechoslovakia in force from 1948 to 1960. It came into force on June 9, shortly after the communist seizure of power in the country on 25 February 1948. It replaced the 1920 Constitution. President Edvard Beneš refused to sign it and resigned. This (not yet fully Communist) constitution was openly violated by the KSČ, the government and many individuals throughout the period of its being in force, especially regarding the provisions on private ownership and human rights.

The constitution had been prepared since the summer of 1946. There had been many disputes concerning nationalization, the relation of Czechs and Slovaks and other crucial issues, but after the Communist take-over in February 1948, the Communist concept was largely applied. Although the constitution did not establish the vanguard role of the KSČ within the Czechoslovak state and government administration under the Leninist principle of democratic centralism (these were provisions only of the following "socialist" 1960 Constitution of Czechoslovakia), it confirmed the KSC had in Czechoslovakia the absolute power, just as other Communist parties in Communist countries.

The constitution declared that the economy of Czechoslovakia was based on nationalized industries, nationalized trade and a nationalized financial sector. The government sector was declared the basis of the economy, but it protected the private sector and cooperatives too. It also granted a small degree of autonomy to Slovakia, which was given its own legislative body and governmental structure, although these were made subordinate to the central authorities in Prague. The parliament continued to be called the National Assembly.

• Czechoslovakia: 1948-1968

This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.