William R. Tolbert Jr.

Jimmy Carter and William Tolbert on April 3, 1978

William Tolbert

William Richard Tolbert, Jr. (born May 13, 1913 in Bensonville , Liberia , † April 12, 1980 ) was the 20th President of Liberia from 1971 to 1980 . From 1965 to 1970 he was President of the Baptist World Federation and thus held the highest ecclesiastical office of this free church .

Life

Tolbert was Vice President from 1955 to 1971 and President from 1971 to 1980. His predecessor (1944-1971) was William VS Tubman . Tolbert was murdered by Samuel K. Does in a military coup led by Samuel K. Does . After his death, a Doe military government was in power.

Tolbert came to power for the True Whig Party , Liberia's only party at the time. After taking his presidency, Tolbert initiated some liberal reforms. Among other things, he admitted the Progressive Alliance of Liberia, the first opposition party in 125 years.

At the same time, the strong economic differences between the American-Liberian ruling class and the natives intensified under him . When there was a demonstration against the rise in rice prices in Monrovia on April 14, 1979 , he had the demonstrators shot and killed around 70 people. The unrest that followed led to a coup led by Samuel K. Doe. Tolbert was killed, his body thrown in a mass grave, and stones pelted by angry Liberians. The political dominance of the Ameriko-Liberians in the country was thus over.

See also : List of attacks on the President of Liberia

literature

• Robert H. Jackson, Carl G. Rosberg: Personal Rule in Black Africa: Prince, Autocrat, Prophet, Tyrant . University of California Press, Berkley, Los Angeles, London 1982, ISBN 0-520-04185-2 , William Tubman and William Tolbert, pp. 112-120 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Article in Time magazine