List of state leaders in 1939

This is a list of heads of state, government leaders, and other rulers in the year 1939.

Africa

• Egypt
  • Monarch - Farouk I, King of Egypt (1936–1952)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Muhammad Mahmoud Pasha, Prime Minister of Egypt (1937–1939)
    2. Ali Mahir Pasha, Prime Minister of Egypt (1939–1940)
•  Liberia
  • President - Edwin Barclay, President of Liberia (1930–1944)
•  South Africa
  • Monarch - George VI, King of the British Dominions Beyond the Seas (1936–1952)
  • Governor-General - Sir Patrick Duncan, Governor-General of South Africa (1937–1943)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. J. B. M. Hertzog, Prime Minister of South Africa (1924–1939)
    2. Jan Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa (1939–1948)

Asia

• Afghanistan
  • Monarch - Mohammed Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan (1933–1973)
  • Prime Minister - Mohammad Hashim Khan, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1929–1946)
• China
  • Nationalist Government
    • Head of State - Lin Sen, Chairman of the National Government of China (1931–1943)
    • Premier -
      1. H. H. Kung, President of the Executive Yuan of China (1938–1939)
      2. Chiang Kai-shek, President of the Executive Yuan of China (1939–1945)
  • Provisional Government (puppet state of Japan)
    • Head of State - Wang Kemin, Chairman of the Provisional Government of China (1937–1940)
  • Reformed Government (puppet state of Japan)
    • Chairman - Liang Hongzhi, Chairman of the Reformed Government of China (1938–1940)
  •  Manchukuo (puppet state of Japan)
    • Monarch - Puyi, Emperor of Manchukuo (1932–1945)
    • Prime Minister - Zhang Jinghui, Prime Minister of Manchukuo (1935–1945)
  • Tibet (unrecognized, de facto independent country)
    • Monarch - Tenzin Gyatso, Dalai Lama (1937–present)^[1]
    • Regent - Jamphel Yeshe Gyaltsen, Reting Rinpoche (1934–1941)
• Hatay
  • incorporated into Turkey on July 23, 1939
  • President - Tayfur Sökmen, President of Hatay (1938–1939)
  • Prime Minister - Abdurrahman Melek, Prime Minister of Hatay (1938–1939)
• Iran
  • Monarch - Reza Shah, Shah of Iran (1925–1941)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Mahmoud Jam, Prime Minister of Iran (1935–1939)
    2. Ahmad Matin-Daftari, Prime Minister of Iran (1939–1940)
•  Iraq
  • Monarch -
    1. Ghazi, King of Iraq (1933–1939)
    2. Faisal II, King of Iraq (1939–1958)
  • Regent - Prince 'Abd al-Ilah, Regent of Iraq (1939–1941)
  • Prime Minister - Nuri al-Said, Prime Minister of Iraq (1938–1940)
• Japan
  • Monarch - Hirohito, Emperor of Japan (1926–1989)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Prince Fumimaro Konoe, Prime Minister of Japan (1937–1939)
    2. Baron Hiranuma Kiichirō, Prime Minister of Japan (1939)
    3. Nobuyuki Abe, Prime Minister of Japan (1939–1940)
• Mongolia
  • Communist Party Leader - Banzarjavyn Baasanjav, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (1936–1940)
  • Head of State - Dansranbilegiin Dogsom, Chairman of the Presidium of the State Little Khural of Mongolia (1936–1939)
  • Premier -
    1. Anandyn Amar, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Mongolia (1936–1939)
    2. Khorloogiin Choibalsan, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Mongolia (1939–1952)
• Muscat and Oman
  • Monarch - Said Bin Taimur, Sultan of Muscat and Oman (1932–1970)
• Nepal
  • Monarch - Tribhuvan, King of Nepal (1911–1950)
  • Prime Minister - Juddha Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, Prime Minister of Nepal (1932–1945)
•  Saudi Arabia
  • Monarch - Ibn Saud, King of Saudi Arabia (1902–1953)^[2]
• Siam
  • see under Thailand
•  Thailand
  • Siam changed name to Thailand on June 23, 1939
  • Monarch - Ananda Mahidol, King of Thailand (1935–1946)
  • Prime Minister - Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Prime Minister of Thailand (1938–1944)
•  Turkey
  • President - İsmet İnönü, President of Turkey (1938–1950)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Celâl Bayar, Prime Minister of Turkey (1937–1939)
    2. Refik Saydam, Prime Minister of Turkey (1939–1942)
•  Tuva
  • Communist Party Leader - Salchak Toka, General Secretary of the Tuvan People's Revolutionary Party (1932–1944)
  • Head of State - Oyun Polat, Chairman of the Presidium of the Little Hural of Tuva (1938–1940)
  • Premier - Bair Ondar, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Tuva (1938–1940)
• Yemen
  • Monarch - Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din, King of Yemen (1904–1948)^[3]

Europe

• Albania (Italian protectorate under occupation)
  • Albania was turned into an Italian protectorate on April 16, 1939
  • Monarch -
    1. Zog I, King of the Albanians (1925–1939)^[4]
    2. Victor Emmanuel III, King of Albania (1939–1943)
  • Viceroy - Francesco Jacomoni, Lieutenant-General of Albania (1939-1943)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Kostaq Kota, Prime Minister of Albania (1936–1939)
    2. Shefqet Vërlaci, Prime Minister of Albania (1939–1941)
• Andorra
  • Monarchs -
    • French Co-Prince - Albert François Lebrun, French Co-Prince of Andorra (1932–1940)
      • Co-Prince's Representative - Jean Baptiste Laumond (1937–1940)
    • Episcopal Co-Prince - Justí Guitart i Vilardebó, Episcopal Co-Prince of Andorra (1920–1940)
      • Co-Prince's Representative - Jaume Sansa Nequí (1937–1972)
  • First Syndic - Francesc Cairat Freixes, First Syndic of Andorra (1937–1960)
• Belgium
  • Monarch - Leopold III, King of the Belgians (1934–1951)^[5]
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Paul-Henri Spaak, Prime Minister of Belgium (1938–1939)
    2. Hubert Pierlot, Prime Minister of Belgium (1939–1945)^[6]
• Bohemia and Moravia (German protectorate under occupation)
  • Czechoslovakia was occupied and turned into a protectorate on March 15, 1939
  • German Governor - Konstantin von Neurath, Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia (1939–1943)
  • President - Emil Hácha, State President of Bohemia and Moravia (1938–1945)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Rudolf Beran, Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (1938–1939)
    2. Alois Eliáš, Prime Minister of Bohemia and Moravia (1939–1941)
  • Carpatho-Ukraine (unrecognized secessionist state)
    • declared independence on 15 March, annexed by Hungary on 16 March
    • President - Avgustyn Voloshyn, President of Carpatho-Ukraine (1939)
    • Prime Minister - Julian Révaý, Prime Minister of Carpatho-Ukraine (1939)
• Bulgaria
  • Monarch - Boris III, Tsar of the Bulgarians (1918–1943)
  • Premier - Georgi Kyoseivanov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria (1935–1940)
• Czechoslovakia
  • see under Bohemia and Moravia
• Danzig (free city under League of Nations protection)
  • incorporated into Germany on September 1, 1939
  • High Commissioner - Carl Jacob Burckhardt, League of Nations High Commissioner for Danzig (1937–1939)
  • Head of State - Arthur Greiser, President of the Senate of Danzig (1934–1939)
• Denmark
  • Monarch - Christian X, King of Denmark (1912–1947)
  • Prime Minister - Thorvald Stauning, Prime Minister of Denmark (1929–1942)
•  Estonia
  • President - Konstantin Päts, President of Estonia (1933–1940)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Kaarel Eenpalu, Prime Minister of Estonia (1938–1939)
    2. Jüri Uluots, Prime Minister of Estonia (1939–1940)
• Finland
  •  Republic of Finland
    • President - Kyösti Kallio, President of Finland (1937–1940)
    • Prime Minister -
      1. Aimo Cajander, Prime Minister of Finland (1937–1939)
      2. Risto Ryti, Prime Minister of Finland (1939–1940)
  • Finnish Democratic Republic (unrecognized rival government)
    • rival government declared on Soviet-occupied territory on 1 December 1939
    • Chairman - Otto Wille Kuusinen, Chairman of the People's Government of Finland (1939–1940)
• France
  • President - Albert François Lebrun, President of France (1932–1940)
  • Prime Minister - Édouard Daladier, President of the Council of Ministers of France (1938–1940)
• Germany
  • Head of State - Adolf Hitler, Führer of Germany (1934–1945)
  • Chancellor - Adolf Hitler, Chancellor of Germany (1933–1945)
•  Greece
  • Monarch - George II, King of the Hellenes (1935–1947)^[7]
  • Prime Minister - Ioannis Metaxas, President of the Ministerial Council of Greece (1936–1941)
• Hungary
  • Head of State - Miklós Horthy, Regent of Hungary (1920–1944)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Béla Imrédy, Prime Minister of Hungary (1938–1939)
    2. Count Pál Teleki, Prime Minister of Hungary (1939–1941)
• Iceland
  • Monarch - Christian X, King of Iceland (1918–1944)
  • Prime Minister - Hermann Jónasson, Prime Minister of Iceland (1934–1942)
•  Ireland
  • Monarch - George VI, King of Ireland (1936–1949)
  • President - Douglas Hyde, President of Ireland (1938–1945)
  • Prime Minister - Éamon de Valera, Taoiseach of Ireland (1932–1948)
•  Italy
  • Monarch - Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy (1900–1946)
  • Prime Minister - Benito Mussolini, President of the Council of Ministers of Italy (1922–1943)
•  Latvia
  • President - Kārlis Ulmanis, President of Latvia (1936–1940)
  • Prime Minister - Kārlis Ulmanis, Prime Minister of Latvia (1934–1940)
•  Liechtenstein
  • Monarch - Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1938–1989)
  • Head of Government - Josef Hoop, Head of Government of Liechtenstein (1928–1945)
• Lithuania
  • President - Antanas Smetona, President of Lithuania (1926–1940)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Vladas Mironas, Prime Minister of Lithuania (1938–1939)
    2. Jonas Černius, Prime Minister of Lithuania (1939)
    3. Antanas Merkys, Prime Minister of Lithuania (1939–1940)
•  Luxembourg
  • Monarch - Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1919–1964)^[8]
  • Prime Minister - Pierre Dupong, President of the Government of Luxembourg (1937–1953)^[9]
•  Monaco
  • Monarch - Louis II, Prince of Monaco (1922–1949)
  • Head of Government - Émile Roblot, Minister of State of Monaco (1937–1944)
•  Netherlands
  • Monarch - Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands (1890–1948)^[10]
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Hendrikus Colijn, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands (1933–1939)
    2. Dirk Jan de Geer, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Netherlands (1939–1940)
•  Norway
  • Monarch - Haakon VII, King of Norway (1905–1957)^[11]
  • Prime Minister - Johan Nygaardsvold, Prime Minister of Norway (1935–1945)^[12]
• Poland
  • Poland was occupied and annexed by Germany and the Soviet Union in September 1939
  • President - Ignacy Mościcki, President of Poland (1926–1939)
  • Prime Minister - Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski, President of the Council of Ministers of Poland (1936–1939)
  • Polish government-in-exile
    • the government-in-exile was formed on September 30, 1939
    • President - Władysław Raczkiewicz, President of Poland (1939–1947)
    • Prime Minister - Władysław Sikorski, Prime Minister of Poland (1939–1943)
• Portugal
  • President - Óscar Carmona, President of Portugal (1926–1951)
  • Premier - António de Oliveira Salazar, President of the Council of Ministers of Portugal (1932–1968)
•  Romania
  • Monarch - Carol II, King of the Romanians (1930–1940)
  • Premier -
    1. Patriarch Miron Cristea, President of the Council of Ministers of Romania (1938–1939)
    2. Armand Călinescu, President of the Council of Ministers of Romania (1939)
    3. Gheorghe Argeşanu, President of the Council of Ministers of Romania (1939)
    4. Constantin Argetoianu, President of the Council of Ministers of Romania (1939)
    5. Gheorghe Tătărescu, President of the Council of Ministers of Romania (1939–1940)
•  San Marino
  • Captains Regent -
    1. Carlo Balsimelli and Celio Gozi, Captains Regent of San Marino (1938–1939)
    2. Pompeo Righi and Marino Morri, Captains Regent of San Marino (1939)
    3. Marino Michelotti and Orlando Reffi, Captains Regent of San Marino (1939–1940)
• Slovakia (partially recognized state)
  • independence declared on 14 March 1939
  • President - Jozef Tiso, President of Slovakia (1939–1945)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Jozef Tiso, Prime Minister of Slovakia (1939)
    2. Vojtech Tuka, Prime Minister of Slovakia (1939–1944)
•  Soviet Union
  • Communist Party Leader - Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922–1953)
  • Head of State - Mikhail Kalinin, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (1919–1946)^[13]
  • Premier - Vyacheslav Molotov, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union (1930–1941)
• Spain
  • Spanish Republic
    • the republic fell on April 1, 1939
    • President -
      1. Manuel Azaña, President of Spain (1936–1939)
      2. Diego Martínez Barrio, Interim President of Spain (1939)
      3. Segismundo Casado, Interim President of the National Council of Defense of Spain (1939)
      4. José Miaja, President of the National Council of Defense of Spain (1939)
    • Prime Minister - Juan Negrín, President of the Council of Ministers of Spain (1937–1939)
  • Spanish State
    • Head of State - Francisco Franco, Head of State of Spain (1936–1975)
    • Prime Minister - Francisco Franco, President of the Government of Spain (1938–1973)
•  Sweden
  • Monarch - Gustaf V, King of Sweden (1907–1950)
  • Prime Minister - Per Albin Hansson, Prime Minister of Sweden (1936–1946)
•   Switzerland
  • Federal Council:^[14]

    Giuseppe Motta (1911–1940), Marcel Pilet-Golaz (1928–1944), Rudolf Minger (1929–1940), Philipp Etter (1934–1959, President), Johannes Baumann (1934–1940), Hermann Obrecht (1935–1940), Ernst Wetter (1938–1943)

•  United Kingdom
  • Monarch - George VI, King of the United Kingdom (1936–1952)
  • Prime Minister - Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1937–1940)
•   Vatican City
  • Monarch -
    1. Pope Pius XI, Sovereign of Vatican City (1929–1939)
    2. Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli and Cardinal Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte,
       interim government during sede vacante (1939)
    3. Pope Pius XII, Sovereign of Vatican City (1939–1958)
  • Governor - Marquis Camillo Serafini, Governor of Vatican City (1929–1952)
  • President of the Governorate - Cardinal Nicola Canali, President of the Governorate of Vatican City (1939–1961)
  • Holy See (sui generis subject of public international law)
    • Secretary of State -
      1. Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, Cardinal Secretary of State (1930–1939)
      2. Cardinal Luigi Maglione, Cardinal Secretary of State (1939–1944)
•  Yugoslavia
  • Monarch - Peter II, King of Yugoslavia (1934–1945)^[15]
  • Regent - Prince Paul + Radenko Stanković + Ivo Perović, Regency of Yugoslavia (1934–1941)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Milan Stojadinović, Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (1935–1939)
    2. Dragiša Cvetković, Prime Minister of Yugoslavia (1939–1941)

North America

• Canada
  • Monarch - George VI, King of the British Dominions Beyond the Seas (1936–1952)
  • Governor General - John Buchan, Baron Tweedsmuir, Governor General of Canada (1935–1940)
  • Prime Minister - William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada (1935–1948)
• Costa Rica
  • President - León Cortés Castro, President of Costa Rica (1936–1940)
• Cuba
  • President - Federico Laredo Brú, President of Cuba (1936–1940)
• Dominican Republic
  • De facto Head of State - Rafael Trujillo, de facto ruler of the Dominican Republic (1930–1961)
  • President - Jacinto Peynado, President of the Dominican Republic (1938–1940)
• El Salvador
  • President - Maximiliano Hernández Martínez, President of El Salvador (1935–1944)
•  Guatemala
  • President - Jorge Ubico, President of Guatemala (1931–1944)
•  Haiti
  • President - Sténio Vincent, President of Haiti (1930–1941)
• Honduras
  • President - Tiburcio Carías Andino, President of Honduras (1933–1949)
•  Mexico
  • President - Lázaro Cárdenas, President of Mexico (1934–1940)
•  Nicaragua
  • President - Anastasio Somoza García, President of Nicaragua (1937–1947)
•  Panama
  • President -
    1. Juan Demóstenes Arosemena, President of Panama (1936–1939)
    2. Ezequiel Fernández, Acting President of Panama (1939)
    3. Augusto Samuel Boyd, Acting President of Panama (1939–1940)
•  United States of America
  • President - Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States (1933–1945)

Oceania

• Australia
  • Monarch - George VI, King of the British Dominions Beyond the Seas (1936–1952)
  • Governor-General - Alexander Hore-Ruthven, Baron Gowrie, Governor-General of Australia (1936–1945)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Joseph Lyons, Prime Minister of Australia (1932–1939)
    2. Sir Earle Page, Prime Minister of Australia (1939)
    3. Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia (1939–1941)
• New Zealand
  • Monarch - George VI, King of the British Dominions Beyond the Seas (1936–1952)
  • Governor-General - George Monckton-Arundell, Viscount Galway, Governor-General of New Zealand (1935–1941)
  • Prime Minister - Michael Joseph Savage, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1935–1940)

South America

• Argentina
  • President - Roberto María Ortiz, President of Argentina (1938–1942)
• Bolivia
  • President -
    1. Germán Busch, President of Bolivia (1937–1939)
    2. Carlos Quintanilla, Provisional President of Bolivia (1939–1940)
• Brazil
  • President - Getúlio Vargas, President of Brazil (1930–1945)
• Chile
  • President - Pedro Aguirre Cerda, President of Chile (1938–1941)
• Colombia
  • President - Eduardo Santos, President of Colombia (1938–1942)
• Ecuador
  • President -
    1. Aurelio Mosquera, President of Ecuador (1938–1939)
    2. Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Río, Acting President of Ecuador (1939)
    3. Andrés Córdova, Acting President of Ecuador (1939–1940)
•  Paraguay
  • President -
    1. Félix Paiva, President of Paraguay (1937–1939)
    2. José Félix Estigarribia, President of Paraguay (1939–1940)
•  Peru
  • President -
    1. Óscar R. Benavides, President of Peru (1933–1939)
    2. Manuel Prado Ugarteche, President of Peru (1939–1945)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Ernesto Montagne Markholz, President of the council of ministers of Peru (1936–1939)
    2. Alberto Rey de Castro y Romaña, President of the council of ministers of Peru (1939)
    3. Alfredo Solf y Muro, President of the council of ministers of Peru (1939–1944)
•  Uruguay
  • President - Alfredo Baldomir, President of Uruguay (1938–1943)
•  Venezuela
  • President - Eleazar López Contreras, President of Venezuela (1936–1941)

References

1. Tenzin Gyatso was only enthroned in 1950, Tibet accepted Chinese sovereignty in 1951, the Dalai Lama went into exile in 1959, and his political role in the government-in-exile ended in 2011.
2. Ibn Saud was Emir of Nejd and Hasa between 1902 and 1921, Sultan of Nejd between 1921 and 1927, King of Nejd between 1927 and 1932 additionally King of Hejaz between 1926 and 1932 (collectively referred to as King of Nejd and Hejaz), and King of Saudi Arabia from 1932.
3. Yemen only became independent in 1918.
4. Zog I was in power as President of Albania under the name of Ahmet Zogu between 1925 and 1928.
5. German prisoner between 1940 an 1945, in exile between 1945 and 1950.
6. In exile between 1940 and 1944.
7. In exile between 1941 and 1946.
8. In exile between 1940 and 1945.
9. In exile between 1940 and 1944.
10. In exile between 1940 and 1945.
11. In exile between 1940 and 1945.
12. In exile between 1940 and 1945.
13. Kalinin was head of state of Russia (Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets) from 1919 to 1938, and head of state of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1946.
14. The seven member Swiss Federal Council is the collective head of state and the government of Switzerland. Within the Council, the President of the Swiss Confederation serves solely in a primus inter pares capacity for one year.
15. In exile from 1941.

External links