Editing Klement Gottwald (section)

==Early life==

=== Childhood and youth ===
Klement Gottwald was born on 23 November 1896, but it is unclear if in [[Dědice (Vyškov)|Dědice]] (today part of [[Vyškov]]) or in [[Hoštice-Heroltice]]. His mother was an unmarried maidservant.<ref>{{cite web |last=Prokopová|first=Milada|title=Gottwald se narodil před 120 lety svobodné děvečce, místo nejasné|url=https://www.idnes.cz/brno/zpravy/vyroci-narozeni-klementa-gottwalda.A161123_2287857_brno-zpravy_krut|publisher=iDNES.cz|language=cs|date=23 November 2016|access-date=7 June 2024}}</ref> Before [[World War I]] he was trained in [[Vienna]] as a [[carpentry|carpenter]] but also actively participated in the activities of the [[Czech Social Democratic Party|Social Democratic youth]] movement.

=== Personal life ===
Klement Gottwald was married to [[:cs:Marta Gottwaldová|Marta Gottwaldová]] who came from a poor family and was an illegitimate child. Although his wife stood by him through his endeavours, and was his faithful companion, she never joined the [[Communist Party of Czechoslovakia|Communist Party]]. They had one daughter, Marta (1920–1998),  who married Alexey Čepička.<ref>Eleanor Wheeler, Doubravka Olšáková, ''Letters from Prague: 1947–1957'' (Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2022), p. 373</ref>

=== First World War ===
From 1915 to 1918 Gottwald was a soldier in the [[Austro-Hungarian Army]]. It is believed that he fought in the [[Battle of Zborov (1917)|Battle of Zborov]], which would mean that he fought there against future General and President [[Ludvík Svoboda]], who fought on the side of the [[Czechoslovak Legion]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://zpravy.idnes.cz/pamatnik-bitvy-u-zborova-vondra-dag-/zahranicni.aspx?c=A120702_143840_zahranicni_mku |title=Ministr obrany odhalil na Ukrajině památník padlým u Zborova|date=2 July 2012|website=iDNES.cz|access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref> Thomas Jakl of the Military History Institute called Gottwald's participation in the Battle of Zborov a legend: Gottwald was in a hospital in [[Vienna]] during the time of the battle.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://echo24.cz/a/idtgJ/lzi-o-ceskych-legionarich-gottwald-bojoval-u-zborova|title=Lži o českých legionářích: Gottwald bojoval u Zborova |trans-title=Lies about Czech Legionnaires: Gottwald fought at Zborov| publisher=Echo24.cz |last=Baroch |first=Pavel |date=9 August 2014|access-date=10 March 2017|language=cs-CZ}}</ref> In the summer of 1918, Gottwald deserted from the army. After the establishment of the [[first Czechoslovak Republic]], he served for two years in the [[Czechoslovak Army]]. From 1920 to 1921 he worked in [[Rousínov|Rousinov]] as a cabinetmaker.