World leaders in 1978

Everyone who held a state’s top posts at some point in 1978, 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 1978 →

Major powers in 1978

United StatesUnited States history

President: Jimmy Carter

United KingdomUnited Kingdom history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: James Callaghan

Soviet UnionRussia history

General Secretary: Leonid Brezhnev
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet: Leonid Brezhnev
Chairman of the Council of Ministers: Alexei Kosygin

People's Republic of ChinaChina history

Chairman; Paramount Leader: Hua Guofeng
Paramount Leader: Deng Xiaoping
Acting NPC Standing Committee Chairwoman: Soong Ching-ling
NPC Standing Committee Chairman: Ye Jianying
Premier: Hua Guofeng

FranceFrance history

President: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Prime minister: Raymond Barre

East GermanyGermany history

Chairmen of the State Council: Erich Honecker
Chairman: Willi Stoph

West GermanyGermany history

President: Walter Scheel
Chancellor: Helmut Schmidt

JapanJapan history

Emperor: Hirohito
Prime minister: Takeo Fukuda, then Masayoshi Ōhira

Republic of IndiaIndia history

President: Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Prime minister: Morarji Desai

Africa

Arab Republic of EgyptEgypt history

President: Anwar Sadat
Prime minister: Mamdouh Salem, then Mustafa Khalil

Central African Republic

Emperor of the Central African Empire: Jean-Bédel Bokassa
Prime minister of the Central African Empire: Ange-Félix Patassé, then Henri Maïdou

Democratic Republic of MadagascarMadagascar history

President of Supreme Revolutionary Council: Didier Ratsiraka

Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe

President: Manuel Pinto da Costa

Democratic Republic of the SudanSudan history

President: Gaafar Nimeiry
Prime minister: Gaafar Nimeiry

Derg: Provisional Military Government of Socialist EthiopiaEthiopia history

Chairmen: Mengistu Haile Mariam

Equatorial Guinea

President: Francisco Macías Nguema

Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros

Co-Chairman of the Directorate: Mohamed Ahmed
Co-Chairman of the Directorate; President: Ahmed Abdallah
Prime minister: Salim Ben Ali

Federal Republic of Nigeria: Fourth RepublicNigeria history

Military Head of State: Olusegun Obasanjo

French Upper Volta/ Republic of Upper VoltaBurkina Faso history

President: Sangoulé Lamizana
Prime minister: Sangoulé Lamizana, then Joseph Conombo

GabonGabon history

President: Omar Bongo
Prime minister: Léon Mébiame

Guinea-Bissau

President: Luís Cabral
Prime minister: Francisco Mendes, then Constantino Teixeira, then João Bernardo Vieira

Islamic Republic of MauritaniaMauritania history

Acting Head of State; President: Moktar Ould Daddah
Chairman of the Military Committee for National Recovery: Mustafa Ould Salek

KenyaKenya history

President: Jomo Kenyatta, then Daniel arap Moi

Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland)

King: Sobhuza II
Prime minister: Maphevu Dlamini

Kingdom of LesothoLesotho history

King: Moshoeshoe II

LiberiaLiberia history

President: William R. Tolbert Jr.

Libyan Arab Republic / Socialist People's Libyan Arab JamahiriyaLibya history

Prime minister: Abdul Ati al-Obeidi

Mauritius (Commonwealth realm)Mauritius history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Seewoosagur Ramgoolam

People's Democratic Republic of AlgeriaAlgeria history

President: Houari Boumediene
Interim President: Rabah Bitat

People's Republic of AngolaAngola history

President: Agostinho Neto
Prime minister: Lopo do Nascimento

People's Republic of BeninBenin history

President: Mathieu Kérékou

People's Republic of MozambiqueMozambique history

President: Samora Machel

People's Republic of the Congo

President: Joachim Yhombi-Opango

Republic of BotswanaBotswana history

President: Seretse Khama

Republic of BurundiBurundi history

President: Jean-Baptiste Bagaza
Prime minister: Édouard Nzambimana

Republic of CameroonCameroon history

President: Ahmadou Ahidjo
Prime minister: Paul Biya

Republic of Cape VerdeCape Verde history

President: Aristides Pereira
Prime minister: Pedro Pires

Republic of ChadChad history

Prime minister: Hissène Habré

Republic of DjiboutiDjibouti history

President: Hassan Gouled Aptidon
Prime minister: Ahmed Dini Ahmed, then Abdallah Mohamed Kamil, then Barkat Gourad Hamadou

Republic of GhanaGhana history

Military Head of State: Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, then Fred Akuffo

Republic of GuineaGuinea history

President: Ahmed Sékou Touré
Prime minister: Louis Lansana Beavogui

Republic of Ivory CoastIvory Coast history

President: Félix Houphouët-Boigny

Republic of MalawiMalawi history

President: Hastings Banda

Republic of MaliMali history

Head of State: Moussa Traoré

Republic of RwandaRwanda history

President: Juvénal Habyarimana

Republic of SenegalSenegal history

President: Léopold Sédar Senghor
Prime minister: Abdou Diouf

Republic of Seychelles

President: France-Albert René

Republic of Sierra LeoneSierra Leone history

President: Siaka Stevens

Republic of South AfricaSouth Africa history

State President: Balthazar Johannes Vorster
Prime minister: Balthazar Johannes Vorster, then Pieter Willem Botha

Republic of the GambiaGambia history

President: Dawda Jawara

Republic of TunisiaTunisia history

President: Habib Bourguiba
Prime minister: Hedi Amara Nouira

Republic of Uganda

President: Idi Amin

Republic of ZambiaZambia history

President: Kenneth Kaunda
Prime minister: Mainza Chona, then Daniel Lisulo

Rhodesia, unrecognised state

President: John Wrathall
Prime minister: Ian Smith

Somali Democratic RepublicSomalia history

President: Siad Barre

State of the Comoros

President: Ali Soilih
Prime minister: Abdallah Mohamed

Sultanate/ Kingdom of MoroccoMorocco history

King: Hassan II
Prime minister: Ahmed Osman

Togolese RepublicTogo history

President: Gnassingbé Eyadéma

United Republic of TanzaniaTanzania history

President: Julius Nyerere
prime minister: Edward Sokoine

Zaire

President: Mobutu Sese Seko
Prime minister: Mpinga Kasenda

Americas

ArgentinaArgentina history

President of the Military Junta: Jorge Rafael Videla

BarbadosBarbados history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Tom Adams

BoliviaBolivia history

President: Hugo Banzer, then Juan Pereda
Chairman of the Military Junta: Víctor González Fuentes, then David Padilla

Brazilian Military regimeBrazil history

President: Ernesto Geisel

CanadaCanada history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Pierre Trudeau

Civic-Military Dictatorship of UruguayUruguay history

Acting President: Aparicio Méndez

Co-operative Republic of GuyanaGuyana history

President: Arthur Chung
Prime minister: Forbes Burnham

ColombiaColombia history

President: Alfonso López Michelsen, then Julio César Turbay Ayala

Dominica

Prime minister: Patrick John

Duvalier dynasty, HaitiHaiti history

President for Life: Jean-Claude Duvalier

El Stronato: ParaguayParaguay history

President: Alfredo Stroessner

Fourth Dominican RepublicDominican Republic history

President: Joaquín Balaguer, then Antonio Guzmán Fernández

Grenada

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Eric Gairy

HondurasHonduras history

President: Juan Alberto Melgar Castro
Provisional President: Policarpo Paz García

JamaicaJamaica history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Michael Manley

MexicoMexico history

President: José López Portillo

Military Junta of PeruPeru history

President of the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces: Francisco Morales Bermúdez

NicaraguaNicaragua history

President: Anastasio Somoza Debayle

PanamaPanama history

President: Arístides Royo
Military Leader: Omar Torrijos

Republic of Costa RicaCosta Rica history

President: Daniel Oduber Quirós, then Rodrigo Carazo Odio

Republic of CubaCuba history

President of the Council of State: Fidel Castro
President of the Council of Ministers: Fidel Castro

Republic of PeruPeru history

Prime Minister: Guillermo Arbulú Galliani

Republic of SurinameSuriname history

President: Johan Ferrier
Prime minister: Henck Arron

Republic of Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago history

President: Ellis Clarke
Prime minister: Eric Williams

Republic of VenezuelaVenezuela history

President: Carlos Andrés Pérez

The Bahamas

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Lynden Pindling

United StatesUnited States history

President: Jimmy Carter

Asia

Ba'athist IraqIraq history

President: Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
Prime minister: Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr

BangladeshBangladesh history

President: Ziaur Rahman

BhutanBhutan history

Druk Gyalpo: Jigme Singye Wangchuck

Democratic KampucheaCambodia history

General Secretary: Pol Pot
Prime minister: Pol Pot

Democratic Republic of AfghanistanAfghanistan history

General Secretary: Nur Muhammad Taraki
Chairman: Nur Muhammad Taraki
Chairman of the Council of Ministers: Nur Muhammad Taraki

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri LankaSri Lanka history

President: William Gopallawa, then Junius Richard Jayewardene
Prime minister: Junius Richard Jayewardene, then Ranasinghe Premadasa

Emirate of Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Emirate of AjmanUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi III

Emirate of DubaiUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum

Emirate of Ras Al KhaimahUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi

Hakims of Bahrain/ State of BahrainBahrain history

Emir: Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa
Prime minister: Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa

Imperial State of IranIran history

Shah: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi

Islamic Republic of PakistanPakistan history

President: Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, then Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq

IsraelIsrael history

President: Ephraim Katzir, then Yitzhak Navon
Prime minister: Menachem Begin

JapanJapan history

Emperor: Hirohito
Prime minister: Takeo Fukuda, then Masayoshi Ōhira

Kingdom of JordanJordan history

King: Hussein
Prime minister: Mudar Badran

Kingdom of NepalNepal history

King: Birendra
Prime minister: Kirti Nidhi Bista

Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia history

King: Khalid

Lao People's Democratic RepublicLaos history

General Secretary: Kaysone Phomvihane
President: Souphanouvong
Prime minister: Kaysone Phomvihane

LebanonLebanon history

President: Elias Sarkis
Prime minister: Selim Hoss

MalaysiaMalaysia history

Yang di-Pertuan Agong: Yahya Petra of Kelantan
Prime minister: Hussein Onn

Mongolian People's Republic

Chairman: Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal

New Order, IndonesiaIndonesia history

President: Suharto

North KoreaNorth Korea history

General Secretary: Kim Il Sung
President: Kim Il Sung

North Yemen: Yemen Arab RepublicYemen history

President: Ahmad al-Ghashmi, then Ali Abdullah Saleh
Chairman: Abdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi

People's Republic of ChinaChina history

Chairman; Paramount Leader: Hua Guofeng
Paramount Leader: Deng Xiaoping
Acting NPC Standing Committee Chairwoman: Soong Ching-ling
NPC Standing Committee Chairman: Ye Jianying
Premier: Hua Guofeng

PhilippinesPhilippines history

President: Ferdinand Marcos
Prime minister: Ferdinand Marcos

Protectorate of Brunei / Nation of BruneiBrunei history

Sultan: Hassanal Bolkiah

QatarQatar history

Emir: Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani
Prime minister: Khalifa bin Hamad

Republic of AfghanistanAfghanistan history

President: Mohammad Daoud Khan

Republic of China: TaiwanTaiwan history

President: Yen Chia-kan, then Chiang Ching-kuo
Premier: Chiang Ching-kuo, then Sun Yun-suan
Acting Premier: Hsu Ching-chung

Republic of CyprusCyprus history

President: Spyros Kyprianou

Republic of IndiaIndia history

President: Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Prime minister: Morarji Desai

Republic of TurkeyTurkey history

President: Fahri Korutürk
Prime minister: Süleyman Demirel, then Bülent Ecevit

Second Republic of Maldives

President: Ibrahim Nasir, then Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

SingaporeSingapore history

President: Benjamin Sheares
Prime minister: Lee Kuan Yew

Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma

Chairman: Ne Win
President: Ne Win

Socialist Republic of Vietnam (1976–present)Vietnam history

General Secretary: Lê Duẩn
President: Tôn Đức Thắng
Prime minister: Phạm Văn Đồng

South KoreaSouth Korea history

President: Park Chung Hee
Prime minister: Choi Kyu-hah

South Yemen: People's Democratic Republic of YemenYemen history

President: Abdul Fattah Ismail
Chairmen: Salim Rubai Ali, then Ali Nasir Muhammad, then Abdul Fattah Ismail
Prime minister: Ali Nasir Muhammad

State of KuwaitKuwait history

Emir: Jaber III
Prime minister: Jaber Al-Ahmad, then Saad Al-Abdullah

Sultanate of Oman: Al Busaidi dynastyOman history

Sultan: Qaboos bin Said

Syrian Arab RepublicSyria history

President: Hafez al-Assad
Prime minister: Abdul Rahman Khleifawi, then Muhammad Ali al-Halabi

ThailandThailand history

King: Bhumibol Adulyadej
Prime minister: Kriangsak Chamanan

Umm Al QuwainUnited Arab Emirates history

ruler: Ahmad bin Rashid Al Mualla

Europe

Andorra

Episcopal Co-Prince: Joan Martí i Alanis
French Co-Prince: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing

AustriaAustria history

President: Rudolf Kirchschläger
Chancellor: Bruno Kreisky

BelgiumBelgium history

King: Baudouin
Prime minister: Leo Tindemans, then Paul Vanden Boeynants

Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

General Secretary: Gustáv Husák
President: Gustáv Husák
Prime minister: Lubomír Štrougal

DenmarkDenmark history

Queen: Margrethe II
Prime minister: Anker Jørgensen

East GermanyGermany history

Chairmen of the State Council: Erich Honecker
Chairman: Willi Stoph

FinlandFinland history

President: Urho Kekkonen
Prime minister: Kalevi Sorsa

France: Fifth RepublicFrance history

President: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Prime minister: Raymond Barre

Greece: Third RepublicGreece history

President: Konstantinos Tsatsos
Prime minister: Konstantinos Karamanlis

Hungarian People's RepublicHungary history

Chairman: Pál Losonczi
Prime minister: György Lázár

IcelandIceland history

President: Kristján Eldjárn
Prime minister: Geir Hallgrímsson, then Ólafur Jóhannesson

ItalyItaly history

President: Giovanni Leone, then Sandro Pertini
Prime minister: Giulio Andreotti

Kingdom of SpainSpain history

King: Juan Carlos I
Prime minister: Adolfo Suárez

Kingdom of the NetherlandsNetherlands history

Queen: Juliana
Prime minister: Dries van Agt

Liechtenstein

Prince: Franz Josef II
Prime minister: Walter Kieber, then Hans Brunhart

LuxembourgLuxembourg history

Grand Duke: Jean
Prime minister: Gaston Thorn

Monaco

Prince: Rainier III
Minister of state: André Saint-Mleux

NorwayNorway history

King: Olav V
Prime minister: Odvar Nordli

People's Republic of BulgariaBulgaria history

General Secretary: Todor Zhivkov
Chairman of the State Council: Todor Zhivkov
Prime minister: Stanko Todorov

People's Socialist Republic of AlbaniaAlbania history

First Secretary: Enver Hoxha
Chairman: Haxhi Lleshi
Prime minister: Mehmet Shehu

Polish People's RepublicPoland history

First Secretary: Edward Gierek
Prime minister: Piotr Jaroszewicz

Republic of IrelandIreland history

President: Patrick Hillery
Taoiseach: Jack Lynch

Republic of MaltaMalta history

President: Anton Buttigieg
Prime minister: Dom Mintoff

San Marino

Captains Regent: Ermenegildo Gasperoni

Socialist Republic of RomaniaRomania history

General Secretary: Nicolae Ceaușescu
President: Nicolae Ceaușescu
Prime minister: Manea Mănescu

Soviet UnionRussia history

General Secretary: Leonid Brezhnev
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet: Leonid Brezhnev
Chairman of the Council of Ministers: Alexei Kosygin

SwedenSweden history

King: Carl XVI Gustaf
Prime minister: Thorbjörn Fälldin, then Ola Ullsten

SwitzerlandSwitzerland history

President of the Confederation: Willi Ritschard

Third Republic of PortugalPortugal history

President: António Ramalho Eanes
Prime minister: Mário Soares, then Alfredo Nobre da Costa, then Carlos Alberto da Mota Pinto

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandUnited Kingdom history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: James Callaghan

Vatican City

Sovereign: Paul VI, then John Paul I, then John Paul II

West GermanyGermany history

President: Walter Scheel
Chancellor: Helmut Schmidt

Yugoslavia: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

President of the Presidium: Josip Broz Tito
President: Josip Broz Tito

Oceania

AustraliaAustralia history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Malcolm Fraser

Dominion of FijiFiji history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Kamisese Mara

Nauru

President: Bernard Dowiyogo, then Lagumot Harris, then Hammer DeRoburt

New ZealandNew Zealand history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Robert Muldoon

Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Michael Somare

Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands history

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Peter Kenilorea

TongaTonga history

King: Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
Prime minister: Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake

Trust Territory of the Pacific IslandsUnited States history

High Commissioner: Adrian P. Winkel

Tuvalu

Queen: Elizabeth II
Prime minister: Toaripi Lauti

Wallis and Futuna

King: Tomasi Kulimoetoke II

Western Samoa/ Independent State of Samoa

O le Ao o le Malo: Malietoa Tanumafili II
Prime minister: Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi