Géza Lakatos

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

Knight Géza Lakatos de Csíkszentsimon (Hungarian title/name: "vitéz Csíkszentsimony Lakatos Géza") (Budapest, April 30, 1890 – Adelaide, May 24, 1967) was a general in Hungary during World War II who served briefly as Prime Minister of Hungary, under regent Miklós Horthy from August 29, 1944, until October 15, 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 Bela Horváth ordering Hungarian gendarmes to use deadly force against any deportation effort. The Germans, however, did not entirely lose power. On October 15, 1944, Horthy tried to force the Germans out entirely. This attempt failed when 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. After the war, he emigrated to Australia.

[edit] 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.
• Ignac Romsics: Hungary in the Twentieth Century, Budapest: Corvina, 1999.

Preceded by Döme Sztójay

Prime Minister of Hungary 1944

Succeeded by Ferenc Szálasi