MiklĂłs Horthy
MiklĂłs Horthy (1868-1957) was a Hungarian admiral and statesman who served as regent for the Kingdom of Hungary from 1920 until his forced abdication in 1944. During the interwar period and for most of World War II, Horthy played a critical but controversial role in both Hungary's foreign and domestic affairs.
Beginning his career in the Austro-Hungarian navy in 1882, Horthy rose through the ranks to become vice-admiral and later commander-in-chief in 1918. Following the defeat of Austria-Hungary in World War I (1914-1918), Horthy led the National Army against the Hungarian Soviet Republic and became regent for the re-established Kingdom of Hungary in 1920.
During the late 1930s, Horthy's conservative government increasingly aligned itself with Nazi Germany, signing the Tripartite Pact in November 1940 and participating in the 1941 Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. In 1944, Horthy was overthrown by a Nazi-backed coup after attempting to sign an armistice with the Allies. Following Allied capture, he was released in December of 1945 and spent the remainder of his life exiled in Portugal until his death on 9 February 1957.
Today Horthy's legacy remains deeply controversial due to his authoritarian rule, alliance with the Nazis, and disputed role in the Holocaust.
Early Career
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was born on 18 June 1868 in Kenderes, Austria-Hungary, to István Horthy and Paula Halassy. Ennobled since 1635, the Horthy family owned a large 1,500-acre estate and had connections to the Hungarian House of Magnates. During his childhood, Horthy's family wealth allowed him to have a detailed education, including studies in literature, ancient classics, and language proficiency in German, French, English, and later Italian and Croatian. At the age of 14, Horthy joined the Imperial and Royal Naval Academy in Fiume and served in several overseas missions across the Mediterranean before becoming an officer. Upon his graduation, in 1892, Horthy was invited to sail around the world and made stops throughout India, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, and other Pacific islands.
After briefly serving as a translator for a joint parliamentary review in Vienna, Horthy met and married Magdolna Purgly de Jószáshely (1881-1959) in 1901. Together, the two had four children: Magdolna (1902-1918), Paulette (1903-1940), István (1904-1942), and Miklós Jr. (1907-1993). Horthy would outlive all of them except for Miklós Jr.
Following his promotion to captain of the Taurus in 1908, Horthy was sent as part of a diplomatic mission to the Ottoman Empire, where he witnessed the Young Turks Revolution. Credited with helping save the life of the Austrian ambassador, Horthy evacuated the diplomatic mission and safely returned them to Austria. Impressed by his actions during the crisis, Horthy was made a naval aide-de-camp to Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph in 1911. In this position, Horthy grew to greatly admire and respect the emperor. He became an important naval advisor to the monarch, oversaw daily court routines, and took up painting.
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⇒ Miklós Horthy
