Hungarian admiral and statesman who served as regent from 1920 to 1944.
Horthy was born in
Kenderes in 1868, and educated at the Naval Academy of Fiume. During World
War I
(1914-1918) he became admiral of the Austro-Hungarian navy. After the war
he returned to
Hungary and organized a counterrevolution against the communist government
of Béla Kun.
Horthy was made commander in chief of the Hungarian armed forces in 1919,
and in 1920 the
National Assembly elected him regent. As regent he defeated the attempts (in
March and
October 1921) of Charles I, former emperor of Austria and king of Hungary,
to regain the
throne, a move in which Horthy was supported by the Hungarian government.
Under his
regime, Hungary became the first post-World War I nationalist dictatorship
in Europe,
ruthlessly suppressing all political opposition. During the 1930s, Horthy's
government,
supported by a strong tide of nationalism, wanted the Treaty of Trianon,
Hungary's settlement
with the Allies in 1920, to be revised to return parts of Czechoslovakia,
Romania, and
Yugoslavia. After the Munich Pact of 1938, Hungary appealed unsuccessfully
to the Western
countries to help it reclaim sections of Slovakia that were awarded to
Czechoslovakia in the
Treaty of Trianon. Failing there, Horthy sought help from the Germans.
Delegates from
Germany and Italy agreed to arbitrate the Hungarian demands. The first
Vienna Award in 1938
gave Hungary a section of Slovakia with a large Hungarian population. The
second Vienna
Award in 1940 gave Hungary a large section of Romania. In return for the
Romanian territory,
Hungary agreed to fight with Germany and Italy in World War II
In 1942, believing that the Axis powers would lose the war, Horthy began
negotiating a
separate peace treaty with the Allies. However, the Germans occupied Hungary
in 1944, and
Horthy chose to install a collaborating, pro-German government rather than
face German
takeover. When the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics invaded Hungary in
October 1944,
Horthy tried to surrender to them. The Germans discovered this and arrested
him. At the end of
the war, Horthy was captured by the United States Army in Bavaria and was
held in protective
custody until the end of 1945, when he was released. He spent the rest of
his life in Portugal.
Horthy was born in
Kenderes in 1868, and educated at the Naval Academy of Fiume. During World
War I
(1914-1918) he became admiral of the Austro-Hungarian navy. After the war
he returned to
Hungary and organized a counterrevolution against the communist government
of Béla Kun.
Horthy was made commander in chief of the Hungarian armed forces in 1919,
and in 1920 the
National Assembly elected him regent. As regent he defeated the attempts (in
March and
October 1921) of Charles I, former emperor of Austria and king of Hungary,
to regain the
throne, a move in which Horthy was supported by the Hungarian government.
Under his
regime, Hungary became the first post-World War I nationalist dictatorship
in Europe,
ruthlessly suppressing all political opposition. During the 1930s, Horthy's
government,
supported by a strong tide of nationalism, wanted the Treaty of Trianon,
Hungary's settlement
with the Allies in 1920, to be revised to return parts of Czechoslovakia,
Romania, and
Yugoslavia. After the Munich Pact of 1938, Hungary appealed unsuccessfully
to the Western
countries to help it reclaim sections of Slovakia that were awarded to
Czechoslovakia in the
Treaty of Trianon. Failing there, Horthy sought help from the Germans.
Delegates from
Germany and Italy agreed to arbitrate the Hungarian demands. The first
Vienna Award in 1938
gave Hungary a section of Slovakia with a large Hungarian population. The
second Vienna
Award in 1940 gave Hungary a large section of Romania. In return for the
Romanian territory,
Hungary agreed to fight with Germany and Italy in World War II
In 1942, believing that the Axis powers would lose the war, Horthy began
negotiating a
separate peace treaty with the Allies. However, the Germans occupied Hungary
in 1944, and
Horthy chose to install a collaborating, pro-German government rather than
face German
takeover. When the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics invaded Hungary in
October 1944,
Horthy tried to surrender to them. The Germans discovered this and arrested
him. At the end of
the war, Horthy was captured by the United States Army in Bavaria and was
held in protective
custody until the end of 1945, when he was released. He spent the rest of
his life in Portugal.