Géza Lakatos

For other people with the same name, see Lakatos (disambiguation).

Vitéz Géza Lakatos de Csíkszentsimon
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary
In office 29 August 1944 – 16 October 1944
Monarch	Miklós Horthy as Regent
Preceded by	Döme Sztójay
Succeeded by	Ferenc Szálasi (Leader of the Nation)
Personal details
Born	(1890-04-30)30 April 1890 Budapest, Hungary
Died	Adelaide, Australia
Nationality	Hungarian
Political party	Independent
Profession	Politician

The native form of this personal name is vitéz lófő csíkszentsimoni Lakatos Géza. This article uses the Western name order.

Knight Géza Lakatos de Csíkszentsimon (Hungarian title/name: "vitéz lófő csíkszentsimoni Lakatos Géza"; in German: Geza Ritter Lakatos, Edler von Csikszentsimon) (Budapest, 30 April 1890 – Adelaide, 21 May 1967) was a colonel general in the Hungarian Army during World War II who served briefly as Prime Minister of Hungary, under governor Miklós Horthy from 29 August 1944, until 15 October 1944.

He graduated at Ludovica Military Academy. He was a military attaché in Prague from 1928 to 1934. On 5 August 1943 he succeeded vitéz Gusztáv Jány as commander of the Second Army. On 1 April 1944 he was appointed commander of the 1st Hungarian Army, but this was only until 15 May 1944.

In August 1944 supporters of Lakatos and Horthy, armed with one tank, overthrew the German-installed government of Döme Sztójay. Lakatos's military government stopped the deportation of Hungarian Jews, with acting Interior Minister Béla Horváth ordering Hungarian gendarmes to use deadly force against any deportation effort. Lakatos also reopened peace talks with the Allies that had previously been begun by Miklós Kállay. He even went as far as to begin talks with the Soviets. On 15 October 1944, Horthy tried to force the Germans out entirely and concluded an armistice with the Allies. However, when Horthy announced this in a nationwide radio address, the Germans kidnapped Horthy's son, Miklós Horthy, Jr., and Horthy surrendered to them. The far right fringe Arrow Cross Party, backed by the Germans, immediately staged a coup and took full control of the government. Lakatos was forced to resign that day, and was imprisoned by the Germans. He emigrated to Australia in 1956, when the failed Hungarian Revolution briefly allowed people to emigrate from Hungary.

References

• C A Macartney: October Fifteenth – A History of Modern Hungary, 1929–1945, 2 vols, Edinburgh University Press 1956-7.
• Lakatos Géza: Ahogyan én láttam, Budapest, Európa, 1992.
• Géza Lakatos: As I saw it: the tragedy of Hungary, Englewood, N.J. : Universe Publishing, 1993.
• Ignác Romsics: Hungary in the Twentieth Century, Budapest: Corvina, 1999.

External links

• Generals.dk

Political offices
Preceded by Döme Sztójay	Prime Minister of Hungary 1944	Succeeded by Ferenc Szálasi
Military offices
Preceded by Lieutenant-General Gusztáv Jány	Commander of the Hungarian Second Army 5 August 1943 – 1 April 1944	Succeeded by Lieutenant-General Lajos Veress
Preceded by Lieutenant-General István Náday	Commander of the Hungarian First Army 1 April 1944 – 15 May 1944	Succeeded by Lieutenant-General Károly Beregfy