World leaders in 1949
Everyone who held a state’s top posts at some point in 1949, in the order they held them. Names are from Wikipedia’s list of state leaders and appear only where the person’s Wikidata record agrees on the post and the years. What happened in 1949 →
Major powers in 1949
United StatesUnited States history
- President
- Harry S. Truman
United KingdomUnited Kingdom history
- King
- George VI
- Prime minister
- Clement Attlee
Soviet UnionRussia history
- General Secretary
- Joseph Stalin
- Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
- Nikolay Shvernik
- Chairman of the Council of Ministers
- Joseph Stalin
Republic of China (1916–1949)China history
- President
- Chiang Kai-shek
- Premier
- Sun Fo, then He Yingqin
People's Republic of ChinaChina history
- Chairman; paramount leader
- Mao Zedong
- Chairman
- Mao Zedong
- Premier
- Zhou Enlai
French Fourth RepublicFrance history
- President
- Vincent Auriol
- Prime minister
- Henri Queuille, then Georges Bidault
Allied-occupied GermanyGermany history
- Military governor
- Lucius D. Clay
- High Commissioner
- John J. McCloy, then Brian Robertson, then André François-Poncet
East GermanyGermany history
- President
- Wilhelm Pieck
- Chairman
- Otto Grotewohl
West GermanyGermany history
- Acting President
- Karl Arnold
- President
- Theodor Heuss
- Chancellor
- Konrad Adenauer
State of JapanJapan history
- Emperor
- Hirohito
- Prime minister
- Shigeru Yoshida
Africa
Beylik of TunisTunisia history
Ethiopian Empire
- Emperor
- Haile Selassie I
Kingdom of EgyptEgypt history
- King
- Farouk I
- Prime minister
- Ibrahim Abdel Hady Pasha, then Hussein Serry Pasha
Kingdom of Rwanda
LiberiaLiberia history
- President
- William Tubman
Sultanate of Morocco: Alaouite dynasty
- Sultan
- Mohammed V
Sultanate of Zanzibar
- Sultan
- Khalifa II
Union of South AfricaSouth Africa history
- King
- George VI
- Prime minister
- Daniel François Malan
Americas
Argentine RepublicArgentina history
- President
- Juan Perón
BoliviaBolivia history
- President
- Enrique Hertzog, then Mamerto Urriolagoitía
CanadaCanada history
- King
- George VI
- Prime minister
- Louis St. Laurent
EcuadorEcuador history
- President
- Galo Plaza
Fourth Brazilian RepublicBrazil history
- President
- Eurico Gaspar Dutra
GuatemalaGuatemala history
- President
- Juan José Arévalo
HondurasHonduras history
- President
- Tiburcio Carías Andino, then Juan Manuel Gálvez
MexicoMexico history
- President
- Miguel Alemán Valdés
NicaraguaNicaragua history
- President
- Víctor Manuel Román y Reyes
PanamaPanama history
- President
- Domingo Díaz Arosemena, then Daniel Chanis Pinzón, then Arnulfo Arias
Presidential Republic (1925–1973) of ChileChile history
- President
- Gabriel González Videla
Republic of ColombiaColombia history
- President
- Mariano Ospina Pérez
Republic of Costa RicaCosta Rica history
- President
- José Figueres Ferrer, then Otilio Ulate Blanco
Republic of CubaCuba history
- President
- Carlos Prío Socarrás
- Prime minister
- Manuel Antonio de Varona
Republic of Haiti (1859–1957)Haiti history
- President
- Dumarsais Estimé
Republic of ParaguayParaguay history
- President
- Juan González, then Raimundo Rolón, then Felipe Molas, then Federico Chávez
Republic of PeruPeru history
- President
- Manuel A. Odría
Third Dominican RepublicDominican Republic history
- President
- Rafael Trujillo
United StatesUnited States history
- President
- Harry S. Truman
United States of VenezuelaVenezuela history
- President
- Carlos Delgado Chalbaud
UruguayUruguay history
- President
- Luis Batlle Berres
Asia
Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam, 1945–1976)Vietnam history
- President
- Ho Chi Minh
- Prime minister
- Ho Chi Minh
Emirate of Abu DhabiTurkey history
Emirate of AjmanTurkey history
Emirate of DubaiTurkey history
Emirate of FujairahTurkey history
Emirate of Nejd and HasaSaudi Arabia history
- King
- Ibn Saud
Emirate of Ras Al KhaimahTurkey history
Emirate of SharjahTurkey history
First Syrian RepublicSyria history
- President
- Shukri al-Quwatli, then Husni al-Za'im
- Acting President
- Sami al-Hinnawi
- Prime minister
- Husni al-Za'im, then Muhsin al-Barazi
French Protectorate of CambodiaCambodia history
- King
- Norodom Sihanouk
- Prime minister
- Penn Nouth, then Yem Sambaur, then Ieu Koeus
Hakims of BahrainBahrain history
Imperial State of Iran: Pahlavi dynastyIran history
IsraelIsrael history
- Chairman; President
- Chaim Weizmann
- Prime minister
- David Ben-Gurion
Kedah SultanateMalaysia history
- Sultan
- Badlishah Shah
Kelantan Sultanate: Patani dynastyMalaysia history
Kingdom of AfghanistanAfghanistan history
- Prime minister
- Shah Mahmud Khan
Kingdom of IraqIraq history
- Regent
- 'Abd al-Ilah
- King
- Faisal II
- Prime minister
- Muzahim al-Pachachi, then Ali Jawdat Al-Ayyubi, then Nuri al-Said
Kingdom of JordanJordan history
- King
- Abdullah I
- Prime minister
- Tawfik Abu al-Huda
LebanonLebanon history
- President
- Bechara El Khoury
- Prime minister
- Riad Al Solh
Mongolian People's RepublicMongolia history
- Prime minister
- Khorloogiin Choibalsan
Negeri SembilanMalaysia history
- Yamtuan
- Abdul Rahman
North Korea: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Prime minister
- Kim Il Sung
North Yemen: Mutawakkilite Kingdom of YemenYemen history
- King
- Ahmad bin Yahya
People's Republic of ChinaChina history
- Chairman; paramount leader
- Mao Zedong
- Chairman
- Mao Zedong
- Premier
- Zhou Enlai
Perak Sultanate: Siak dynastyMalaysia history
- Sultan
- Yussuff Izzuddin Shah
PerlisMalaysia history
PhilippinesPhilippines history
- President
- Elpidio Quirino
Pontianak SultanateIndonesia history
- Sultan
- Syarif Hamid II
Protectorate of BruneiBrunei history
- Sultan
- Ahmad Tajuddin
QatarQatar history
Republic of China (1916–1949)China history
- President
- Chiang Kai-shek
- Premier
- Sun Fo, then He Yingqin
Republic of China: TaiwanChina history
- Acting President
- Li Zongren, then Yan Xishan
- Premier
- Yan Xishan
Republic of Indonesia (1945–1949) / United States of IndonesiaIndonesia history
- President
- Sukarno
- Prime minister
- Mohammad Hatta
Republic of TurkeyTurkey history
- President
- İsmet İnönü
- Prime minister
- Hasan Saka, then Şemsettin Günaltay
Second Syrian RepublicSyria history
- President
- Hashim al-Atassi
- Prime minister
- Hashim al-Atassi, then Nazim al-Kudsi
Selangor SultanateMalaysia history
- Sultan
- Hisamuddin
Sheikhdom of KuwaitKuwait history
- Sheikh
- Ahmad I
Siam/Thailand: Rattanakosin KingdomThailand history
- Prime minister
- Plaek Phibunsongkhram
South Korea: Republic of Korea
- President
- Syngman Rhee
- Prime minister
- Lee Beom-seok
State of JapanJapan history
- Emperor
- Hirohito
- Prime minister
- Shigeru Yoshida
State of Vietnam (South Vietnam, 1949–1955)Vietnam history
- General Secretary
- Trường Chinh
- President
- Bảo Đại
- Prime minister
- Bảo Đại
Sultanate/ State of Muscat and OmanOman history
- Sultan
- Said III
Terengganu SultanateMalaysia history
- Sultan
- Ismail Nasiruddin Shah
Umm Al QuwainTurkey history
Union of Burma
- President
- Sao Shwe Thaik
- Prime minister
- U Nu
Europe
Allied-occupied AustriaAustria history
- High Commissioner
- Antoine Béthouart
Allied-occupied GermanyGermany history
- Military governor
- Lucius D. Clay
- High Commissioner
- John J. McCloy, then Brian Robertson, then André François-Poncet
Andorra
- Episcopal Co-Prince
- Ramon Iglesias i Navarri
- French Co-Prince
- Vincent Auriol
BelgiumBelgium history
- King
- Leopold III
- Prime minister
- Paul-Henri Spaak, then Gaston Eyskens
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
- President
- Klement Gottwald
- Prime Minister
- Antonín Zápotocký
East GermanyGermany history
- President
- Wilhelm Pieck
- Chairman
- Otto Grotewohl
French Fourth RepublicFrance history
- President
- Vincent Auriol
- Prime minister
- Henri Queuille, then Georges Bidault
Grand Duchy of LuxembourgLuxembourg history
- Grand Duchess
- Charlotte
- Prime minister
- Pierre Dupong
Kingdom of DenmarkDenmark history
- King
- Frederik IX
- Prime minister
- Hans Hedtoft
Kingdom of Greece: 4th of August RegimeGreece history
- King
- Paul
- Prime minister
- Themistoklis Sofoulis, then Alexandros Diomidis
Kingdom of NorwayNorway history
- King
- Haakon VII
- Prime minister
- Einar Gerhardsen
Kingdom of SwedenSweden history
- King
- Gustaf V
- Prime minister
- Tage Erlander
Liechtenstein
- Prince
- Franz Josef II
- Prime Minister
- Alexander Frick
Monaco
- Prince
- Louis II, then Rainier III
- Acting Minister of state
- Pierre Blanchy
- Minister of state
- Jacques Rueff
NetherlandsNetherlands history
- Queen
- Juliana
- Prime minister
- Willem Drees
People's Republic of BulgariaBulgaria history
- General Secretary
- Georgi Dimitrov
- Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly
- Mincho Neychev
- Prime Minister
- Georgi Dimitrov, then Vasil Kolarov
People's Republic of PolandPoland history
- General Secretary
- Bolesław Bierut
- President
- Bolesław Bierut
- Prime minister
- Józef Cyrankiewicz
People's Socialist Republic of AlbaniaAlbania history
- First Secretary
- Enver Hoxha
- Chairman
- Omer Nishani
- Prime minister
- Enver Hoxha
Republic of AustriaAustria history
- President
- Karl Renner
- Chancellor
- Leopold Figl
Republic of EstoniaEstonia history
- Prime minister
- Otto Tief
Republic of FinlandFinland history
- President
- Juho Kusti Paasikivi
- Prime minister
- Karl-August Fagerholm
Republic of IcelandIceland history
- President
- Sveinn Björnsson
- Prime minister
- Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson, then Ólafur Thors
Republic of IrelandIreland history
- President
- Seán T. O'Kelly
- Taoiseach
- John A. Costello
Republic of ItalyItaly history
- President
- Luigi Einaudi
Second Hungarian RepublicHungary history
- President
- Árpád Szakasits
- Prime minister
- István Dobi
Second Portuguese RepublicPortugal history
- President
- Óscar Carmona
- President of the Council of Minister
- António de Oliveira Salazar
Socialist Republic of RomaniaRomania history
- General Secretary
- Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
- President of the Presidium
- Constantin Ion Parhon
- Prime minister
- Petru Groza
Soviet UnionRussia history
- General Secretary
- Joseph Stalin
- Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
- Nikolay Shvernik
- Chairman of the Council of Ministers
- Joseph Stalin
Spanish State (Francoist Spain)Spain history
- Caudillo
- Francisco Franco
- Prime minister
- Francisco Franco
SwitzerlandSwitzerland history
- President of the Confederation
- Ernst Nobs
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandUnited Kingdom history
- King
- George VI
- Prime minister
- Clement Attlee
Vatican City
- Sovereign
- Pius XII
West GermanyGermany history
- Acting President
- Karl Arnold
- President
- Theodor Heuss
- Chancellor
- Konrad Adenauer
Yugoslavia: Democratic Federal Yugoslavia
- Prime minister
- Josip Broz Tito
Oceania
AustraliaAustralia history
- King
- George VI
- Prime minister
- Ben Chifley, then Sir Robert Menzies
Kingdom of Tonga (1900–70)Tonga history
- King
- Sālote Tupou III
- Prime minister
- Solomone Ula Ata, then Tupoutoʻa-Tungi
Kings of Uvea (Wallis)
- "Pulufegu", King
- Pelenato Fuluhea
New ZealandNew Zealand history
- King
- George VI
- Prime minister
- Peter Fraser, then Sidney Holland