Nicolas Grunitzky

Nicolas Grunitzky was the second President of Togo. He Initially served as Prime Minister under French colonial rule and was later chosen to lead Togo after a military coup in 1963 that resulted in the death of his rival, Sylvanus Olympio. As president, he sought to unify the nation by including various political factions in his government. His leadership was a key moment in Togo's post-independence history, though it ended with his overthrow in a subsequent military coup in 1967.

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Nicolas Grunitzky, born on April 5, 1913, in Atakpamé, Togo, was a figure of significant importance in Togo's early post-colonial history. His mixed heritage, with a German father and a Togolese mother of Yoruba royal lineage, provided him with a unique perspective on the cultural and political dynamics of his homeland. Grunitzky pursued civil engineering studies in Paris at the prestigious École Spéciale des Travaux Publics (ESTP), a testament to his ambition and commitment to personal and professional growth.

Grunitzky's political journey began in the early 1950s, as he became a central figure in Togo's evolving political landscape. He was the secretary-general of the Togolese Party of Progress (PTP) and secured a seat in the Togolese Representative Assembly in 1951. His influence extended to the French National Assembly, where he served from 1951 to 1958, demonstrating his growing political clout. Supported by France, Grunitzky was appointed Prime Minister of the Republic of Togo in 1956, under the French Colonial loi cadre system. However, his political fortunes shifted in 1958 when his party was defeated by Sylvanus Olympio's Committee of Togolese Unity (CUT) in a decisive election, forcing him into exile.

The year 1963 marked a dramatic turn in Togo's history with the assassination of President Sylvanus Olympio in a coup d'état, the first military coup in Western Africa after independence. Grunitzky, who had been living in exile, was summoned back by the coup leaders and installed as Togo's second President. His presidency was an attempt to heal the nation’s deep political divisions by including multiple political factions in his government. Despite these efforts, his tenure was cut short in 1967 by a bloodless military coup led by Lt. Col Étienne Gnassingbé Eyadema, the same figure who had been instrumental in the 1963 coup.

After his ousting, Grunitzky spent his remaining years in exile in Paris. His life ended tragically following a car accident in Côte d'Ivoire, which led to complications that resulted in his death on September 27, 1969, in a Parisian hospital Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Grunitzky

GOVERNING TIME LINE

Nicolas Grunitzky became the President of Togo on January 13, 1963, following a military coup that resulted in the assassination of his predecessor, President Sylvanus Olympio. Grunitzky was chosen by the military leaders to lead the country, marking Togo's second presidency. His rule focused on trying to unify the nation by including various political factions in his government. However, his presidency ended on January 13, 1967, exactly four years after he assumed office, when he was overthrown in a bloodless coup led by Lieutenant Colonel Étienne Gnassingbé Eyadema. Following his ousting, Grunitzky went into exile in Paris, where he lived until his death in 1969.