Hungarian State
Encyclopedia
The Government of National Unity (Nemzeti Összefogás Kormánya) was the name used by the government of the Kingdom of Hungary
between October 1944 and May 1945. This government, formed by the Arrow Cross Party
, was established on 17 October 1944 after Regent
Miklós Horthy
was removed from power during Operation Panzerfaust
(Unternehmen Eisenfaust). Arrow Cross leader Ferenc Szálasi
was Prime minister and Head of state (as Nation Leader). During the Arrow Cross' short rule, ten to fifteen thousand Jews
were murdered outright, and 80,000 Jews, including many women, children and elderly were deported from Hungary to their deaths in the Auschwitz concentration camp
.
Under duress, Miklós Horthy
appointed Ferenc Szálasi
as magyar királyi miniszterelnök (Royal Hungarian Prime Minister) on 16 October and was deported afterwards by the Germans. The Hungarian parliament approved the formation of a Council of Regency (Kormányzótanács) of three. On November 4, Szálasi was sworn as Nation Leader (nemzetvezető). He formed a government of sixteen ministers, half of which were members of the Arrow Cross Party. While the Horthy regency had come to an end, the Hungarian monarchy was not abolished by the Szálasi regime, as government newspapers kept referring to the country as the Kingdom of Hungary (Magyar Királyság, also abbreviated as m.kir.), although Magyarország (Hungary) was frequently used as an alternative.
Szálasi was an ardent fascist, and his "Quisling
" government had little other intention or ability but to maintain fascism and to maintain control in Nazi-occupied portions of Hungary as the Soviet Union invaded. He did this in order to reduce the threat to Germany. Szálasi's aim was to create a single-party state
based on his "Hungarist" ideology.
On 21 December 1944, with the approval of the Soviet Union
, Béla Miklós
was elected as the Prime Minister
of a "counter" Hungarian government in Soviet-controlled
Debrecen
. Miklós was a former commander of the Hungarian First Army
. He had failed in his efforts to convince many of the men under his command to switch sides. The government that Miklós oversaw was an "interim government" and maintained control in the Soviet-occupied portions of Hungary.
Upon the total Nazi and Fascist takeover, Hungary faced impending occupation by the Soviet Union
which resulted in German armed forces
destroying Hungarian infrastructure as the Red Army
closed in.
In cooperation with the Nazis, Szálasi restarted the deportations of Jews, particularly in Budapest. Thousands more Jews were killed by Arrow Cross members. Of the approximately 800,000 Jews residing within Hungary's expanded borders of 1941, only 200,000 (about 25%) survived the Holocaust
. An estimated 28,000 Hungarian Roma were also killed as part of the Porajmos
.
Szálasi envisioned a new economic order, which he called the "Corporate order of the Working nation" (Dolgozó Nemzet Hivatás Rendje). Even as Hungary was in chaos, Szálasi refused theoretically to compromise Hungarian sovereignty, trying to retain nominal command of all Hungarian military units, including the local SS units. Ethnic Germans were still not allowed to join the Arrow Cross Party. Szálasi devoted much time to his political writings and to trips in the shrinking territory under his control: many political matters were effectively handled by his Deputy Prime Minister Jenő Szöllősi. At the beginning of December, Szálasi and his government relocated out of Budapest as Soviet troops advanced towards the capital.
In December 1944, the Battle of Budapest
began. Fascist forces loyal to Szálasi and the badly damaged remnants of the Hungarian First Army fought alongside German forces. They fought against the Red Army to no avail. By 13 February 1945, all of Budapest
was under Soviet control.
In March 1945, during Operation Spring Awakening
(Unternehmen Frühlingserwachen), Fascist Hungarian forces of the Hungarian Third Army
fought alongside German forces in the last major offensive in Hungary against the Soviet forces. For ten days the Axis
forces made costly gains. However, within twenty-four hours, the Soviet counterattack
was able to drive the Germans and Hungarians back to the positions they held before the offensive began.
Between 16 March and 25 March 1945, the remnants of Hungarian Third Army was overrun and virtually destroyed. By the end of March and into April, what remained of the Royal Hungarian Army
were put on the defensive during the Nagykanizsa–Körmend Offensive and were then forced into Slovakia and Austria
as Soviet forces occupied all of Hungary. Béla Miklós
's government was nominally in control of the whole country. Nazi Germany
itself was on the verge of collapse.
The Ferenc Szálasi regime, which had fled Hungary, was dissolved on 7 May 1945, a day before Germany's surrender
. Szálasi was captured by American troops in Mattsee
on 6 May and returned to Hungary, where he was tried for crimes against the state, and executed.
Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)
The Kingdom of Hungary also known as the Regency, existed from 1920 to 1946 and was a de facto country under Regent Miklós Horthy. Horthy officially represented the abdicated Hungarian monarchy of Charles IV, Apostolic King of Hungary...
between October 1944 and May 1945. This government, formed by the Arrow Cross Party
Arrow Cross Party
The Arrow Cross Party was a national socialist party led by Ferenc Szálasi, which led in Hungary a government known as the Government of National Unity from October 15, 1944 to 28 March 1945...
, was established on 17 October 1944 after Regent
Regent of Hungary
The Regent of Hungary was a position established in 1920 and held by Miklós Horthy until 1944.-Historical examples:On the untimely death of Albert in 1439, Hunyadi was of the volition that Hungary was best served by a warrior king and lent his support to the candidature of young King of Poland...
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar years and throughout most of World War II, serving from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944. Horthy was styled "His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary" .Admiral Horthy was an officer of the...
was removed from power during Operation Panzerfaust
Operation Panzerfaust
Operation Panzerfaust, known as Unternehmen Eisenfaust in Germany, was a military operation to keep the Kingdom of Hungary at Germany's side in the war, conducted in October 1944 by the German military...
(Unternehmen Eisenfaust). Arrow Cross leader Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi was the leader of the National Socialist Arrow Cross Party – Hungarist Movement, the "Leader of the Nation" , being both Head of State and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary's "Government of National Unity" for the final three months of Hungary's participation in World War II...
was Prime minister and Head of state (as Nation Leader). During the Arrow Cross' short rule, ten to fifteen thousand Jews
History of the Jews in Hungary
Hungarian Jews have existed since at least the 11th century. After struggling against discrimination throughout the Middle Ages, by the early 20th century the community grew to be 5% of Hungary's population , and were prominent in science, the arts and business...
were murdered outright, and 80,000 Jews, including many women, children and elderly were deported from Hungary to their deaths in the Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
.
Hungary splits in two
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar years and throughout most of World War II, serving from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944. Horthy was styled "His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary" .Admiral Horthy was an officer of the...
appointed Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi was the leader of the National Socialist Arrow Cross Party – Hungarist Movement, the "Leader of the Nation" , being both Head of State and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary's "Government of National Unity" for the final three months of Hungary's participation in World War II...
as magyar királyi miniszterelnök (Royal Hungarian Prime Minister) on 16 October and was deported afterwards by the Germans. The Hungarian parliament approved the formation of a Council of Regency (Kormányzótanács) of three. On November 4, Szálasi was sworn as Nation Leader (nemzetvezető). He formed a government of sixteen ministers, half of which were members of the Arrow Cross Party. While the Horthy regency had come to an end, the Hungarian monarchy was not abolished by the Szálasi regime, as government newspapers kept referring to the country as the Kingdom of Hungary (Magyar Királyság, also abbreviated as m.kir.), although Magyarország (Hungary) was frequently used as an alternative.
Szálasi was an ardent fascist, and his "Quisling
Quisling
Quisling is a term used in reference to fascist and collaborationist political parties and military and paramilitary forces in occupied Allied countries which collaborated with Axis occupiers in World War II, as well as for their members and other collaborators.- Etymology :The term was coined by...
" government had little other intention or ability but to maintain fascism and to maintain control in Nazi-occupied portions of Hungary as the Soviet Union invaded. He did this in order to reduce the threat to Germany. Szálasi's aim was to create a single-party state
Single-party state
A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election...
based on his "Hungarist" ideology.
On 21 December 1944, with the approval of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Béla Miklós
Béla Miklós
Knight Béla Miklós de Dálnok was a Hungarian military officer and politician who served as acting Prime Minister of Hungary, at first in opposition, and then officially, from 1944 to 1945.-Early career:...
was elected as the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of a "counter" Hungarian government in Soviet-controlled
Soviet occupation of Hungary
The Soviet occupation of Hungary, followed the defeat of Hungary in World War II, lasted for 45 years ending in 1991 shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union -World War II:...
Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
. Miklós was a former commander of the Hungarian First Army
Hungarian First Army
The Hungarian First Army was a Hungarian field army which saw action during World War II.-Commanders:* Lieutenant-General Vilmos Nagy - March 1, 1940 – February 1, 1941* Lieutenant-General István Schweitzer - February 1, 1941 – August 1, 1942...
. He had failed in his efforts to convince many of the men under his command to switch sides. The government that Miklós oversaw was an "interim government" and maintained control in the Soviet-occupied portions of Hungary.
History
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
which resulted in German armed forces
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
destroying Hungarian infrastructure as the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
closed in.
In cooperation with the Nazis, Szálasi restarted the deportations of Jews, particularly in Budapest. Thousands more Jews were killed by Arrow Cross members. Of the approximately 800,000 Jews residing within Hungary's expanded borders of 1941, only 200,000 (about 25%) survived the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. An estimated 28,000 Hungarian Roma were also killed as part of the Porajmos
Porajmos
The Porajmos was the attempt made by Nazi Germany, the Independent State of Croatia, Horthy's Hungary and their allies to exterminate the Romani people of Europe during World War II...
.
Szálasi envisioned a new economic order, which he called the "Corporate order of the Working nation" (Dolgozó Nemzet Hivatás Rendje). Even as Hungary was in chaos, Szálasi refused theoretically to compromise Hungarian sovereignty, trying to retain nominal command of all Hungarian military units, including the local SS units. Ethnic Germans were still not allowed to join the Arrow Cross Party. Szálasi devoted much time to his political writings and to trips in the shrinking territory under his control: many political matters were effectively handled by his Deputy Prime Minister Jenő Szöllősi. At the beginning of December, Szálasi and his government relocated out of Budapest as Soviet troops advanced towards the capital.
In December 1944, the Battle of Budapest
Battle of Budapest
The Siege of Budapest centered on the Hungarian capital city of Budapest. It was fought towards the end of World War II in Europe, during the Soviet Budapest Offensive. The siege started when Budapest, defended by Hungarian and German troops, was first encircled on 29 December 1944 by the Red Army...
began. Fascist forces loyal to Szálasi and the badly damaged remnants of the Hungarian First Army fought alongside German forces. They fought against the Red Army to no avail. By 13 February 1945, all of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
was under Soviet control.
In March 1945, during Operation Spring Awakening
Operation Frühlingserwachen
Operation Frühlingserwachen was the last major German offensive launched during World War II. The offensive was launched in Hungary on the Eastern Front...
(Unternehmen Frühlingserwachen), Fascist Hungarian forces of the Hungarian Third Army
Hungarian Third Army
The Hungarian Third Army was a Hungarian field army which saw action during World War II.-Commanders:* Lieutenant General Elemér Gorondy-Novák from 1 March 1940 to 1 November 1941* Lieutenant General Zoltán Decleva from 1 November 1941 to 1 December 1942...
fought alongside German forces in the last major offensive in Hungary against the Soviet forces. For ten days the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
forces made costly gains. However, within twenty-four hours, the Soviet counterattack
Counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic used in response against an attack. The term originates in military strategy. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy in attack and the specific objectives are usually to regain lost ground or to destroy attacking enemy units.It is...
was able to drive the Germans and Hungarians back to the positions they held before the offensive began.
Between 16 March and 25 March 1945, the remnants of Hungarian Third Army was overrun and virtually destroyed. By the end of March and into April, what remained of the Royal Hungarian Army
Military of Hungary
The Hungarian Defence Force is the national military of Hungary. It currently has two branches, the Hungarian Ground Force and the Hungarian Air Force....
were put on the defensive during the Nagykanizsa–Körmend Offensive and were then forced into Slovakia and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
as Soviet forces occupied all of Hungary. Béla Miklós
Béla Miklós
Knight Béla Miklós de Dálnok was a Hungarian military officer and politician who served as acting Prime Minister of Hungary, at first in opposition, and then officially, from 1944 to 1945.-Early career:...
's government was nominally in control of the whole country. Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
itself was on the verge of collapse.
The Ferenc Szálasi regime, which had fled Hungary, was dissolved on 7 May 1945, a day before Germany's surrender
End of World War II in Europe
The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender to the Western Allies and the Soviet Union took place in late April and early May 1945.-Timeline of surrenders and deaths:...
. Szálasi was captured by American troops in Mattsee
Mattsee
Mattsee is a market town at the eponymous lake in the district of Salzburg-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Salzburg.-History:About 765 Duke Tassilo III of Bavaria established the Mattsee Benedictine Abbey, that became a part of the Diocese of Passau in 993 and was transformed into a college of...
on 6 May and returned to Hungary, where he was tried for crimes against the state, and executed.
Government members
- Ferenc SzálasiFerenc SzálasiFerenc Szálasi was the leader of the National Socialist Arrow Cross Party – Hungarist Movement, the "Leader of the Nation" , being both Head of State and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary's "Government of National Unity" for the final three months of Hungary's participation in World War II...
, Prime minister and Head of state ("Nation Leader") - Jenő Szöllősi, Deputy Prime minister
- Gábor Vajna, Interior minister
- Gábor KeményGábor Kemény (Minister of Foreign Affairs)Baron Gábor Kemény was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1944 and 1945. He prevented the diplomatic protests against the terror. After the fall of Budapest he tried to escape into Western Europe but the arrival American troops captured him with other members...
, Minister of foreign affairs - Lajos Reményi-SchnellerLajos Reményi-SchnellerLajos Reményi-Schneller was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Finance between 1938 and 1945. He started his career in 1923 as the director of the Hungarian Exchange Bank. He became representative in 1935. Kálmán Darányi appointed him Minister of Finance, Reményi-Schneller hold this...
, Minister of finance - László BudinszkyLászló BudinszkyLászló Budinszky was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Justice between 1944 and 1945. He prepared the proposal about the formation of the Leader of the Nation position. Besides this he gave a command that the political convicts to be handed over to the Nazi authorities...
, Secretary for Justice - Károly BeregfyKároly BeregfyKároly Beregfy was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1944–45....
, Minister of Defence - Ferenc RajnissFerenc RajnissFerenc Rajniss was a Hungarian journalist, socialite and fascist politician. He belonged to the pro-Nazi Germany tendency within Hungarian politics-Emergence:...
, Minister of Education - Fidél PálffyFidél PálffyCount Fidél Pálffy de Erdőd was a Hungarian nobleman who emerged as a leading supporter of Nazism in Hungary.-Early life:...
, Secretary of Agriculture - Lajos Szász, Secretary of Commerce and transportation
- Emil Szakváry, Secretary of Industry
- Béla JurcsekBéla JurcsekBéla Jurcsek was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Agriculture in 1944 and Minister of Welfare between 1944 and 1945....
, Secretary of Public care - Emil Kovarcz, Minister without department in charge of the full-scale mobilization and arming of the Nation
- Ferenc Kassai-Schalmayer, Minister without department for Nation Defence and Propaganda
- Vilmos Hellebronth, Minister without department in charge of the continuous oversight of production
- Árpád HenneyÁrpád HenneyÁrpád Henney was a Hungarian politician and military officer, who served as Minister without portfolio between 1944 and 1945, in the Nazi-dominated Ferenc Szálasi cabinet. After the Second World War he emigrated to Austria. He was a leading and prominent member of the immigrant Hungarist movement...
, Minister and special delegate to the Nation Leader, in charge of the Nation Leader's task force
See also
- Hungary during World War IIHungary during World War IIHungary during World War II was a member of the Axis powers. In the 1930s, the Kingdom of Hungary relied on increased trade with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany to pull itself out of the Great Depression. By 1938, Hungarian politics and foreign policy had become increasingly pro-Fascist Italian and...
- Operation Mickey Mouse
- Szent László Infantry DivisionSzent László Infantry DivisionThe Szent László Infantry Division was an elite Hungarian infantry unit formed in the final year of World War II. It was made up of a mix of army and air force personnel. The division saw action at Budapest, in western Hungary, and in southeastern Austria....