Home > Ferenc Szálasi

Born the son of a soldier in Kassa, Szálasi followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the army at a young age. He eventually became an officer and served in the army during World War I. In 1925, Szálasi entered the Hungarian General Staff and by 1933 he had attained the rank of major. Around this time, Szálasi became fascinated with politics and often lectured on Hungary’s political affairs. Szálasi was a fanatical right winger and a strong proponent of Hungarism, advocating the expansion of Hungary’s borders and the spread of Hungarian culture and power throughout Europe. In 1935, Szálasi left the army in order devote his full attention to politics, after which time he established the Party of National Will, a nationalistic group which was unpopular with the people. It was eventually outlawed by the government for being too radical. Unperturbed, Szálasi established the Hungarian National Socialist Party in 1937Events January January 1 Anastasio Somoza becomes President of Nicaragua January 11 The first issue of Look magazine goes on sale in the United States. January 19 Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours,, which was also banned. However, Szálasi was able to attract considerable support to his cause by adopting views that appealed to industrial workers and members of Hungary’s lower classes.

After GermanyThe Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland is one of the world's leading industrialized countries, located in the middle of the European Union. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east’s AnschlussThe general German term Anschluss is part of the specific political incident Anschluss Osterreichs referring to the inclusion of Austria in a "Greater Germany" in 1938. This is opposed to earlier historic Ausschluss meaning the exclusion of Austria from G with AustriaAustria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, a federation of nine states. Austria is bordered by Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the in 1938Events January -June January 3 The March of Dimes is established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. January 11 Frances Moulton is the first woman to become president of a US national bank. January 20 Wedding of king Farouk I of Egypt and Farida Zulficar in Cai, Szálasi’s followers became more radical and violent in their political activities, and as such Szálasi was arrested by the Hungarian Secret Police and imprisoned. However, Szálasi managed to remain a powerful political figure in prison, and was proclaimed leader of the fascistic Arrow CrossThe arrow cross was a symbol of the Hungarian fascist Arrow Cross Party, which originated in the 1940s. It consisted of two black double-ended arrows in an "x" configuration on a white circular background, much like the German Nazi swastika. Party (a combination of multiple right wing groups) when it was expanded in 1938Events January -June January 3 The March of Dimes is established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. January 11 Frances Moulton is the first woman to become president of a US national bank. January 20 Wedding of king Farouk I of Egypt and Farida Zulficar in Cai. The party attracted a large number of followers and in the 1939Events January-June January 2 End of term for Frank Finley Merriam, 28th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Culbert Levy Olson. January 24 Earthquake kills 30. 000 in Chile about 50. 000 sq mi razed January 26 Falangists take Barcelona January 26 elections it gained 30 seats in the Hungarian Parliament, thus becoming one of the most powerful parties in Hungary. Freed due to a general amnesty resulting from the Second Vienna Award in 1940, Szálasi returned to politics. When World War II began, the Arrow Cross Party was officially banned by Prime Minister Pál Teleki, thus forcing Szálasi to operate in secret. During this time period, Szálasi gained the support and backing of the Germans, who had once been opposed to Szálasi due to his advocacy of Hungarian expansionism. When the pro-German Döme Sztójay became Prime Minister of Hungary in March of 1944, Szálasi and his supporters were rewarded when the Arrow Cross Party was legalized by the government, which allowed Szálasi to expand the party even further. When Sztójay was deposed in August, however, Szálasi once again became an enemy of the Hungarian government and Regent Miklós Horthy ordered his arrest. Szálasi, however, was protected by the Germans, who had grown tired of dealing with Horthy and planned to make Szálasi prime minister. The Germans forced Horthy to resign as regent in 1944 and appoint Szálasi prime minister and head of state, thus making Szálasi the sole leader of Hungary.

Upon becoming ruler of Hungary, Szálasi clashed with the Germans on the treatment of Hungarian Jews. Although a rabid Anti-Semite, Szálasi was against the mass extermination of Jews and initially refused ro deport Hungary’s Jews to Germany. Szálasi’s government was still brutally Anti-Semitic, however, and thousands of Jews were murdered by Arrow Cross men while many thousands more were put into forced labor programs and ghettos. Szálasi’s reign was ultimately short lived, however, as the Soviet and Romanian armies advanced into Hungary since before Szálasi had taken office. On December 24, 1944, the Soviets, in alliance with the Romanians, reached Budapest and less than two months later completely defeated the German and Hungarian soldiers defending it. Szálasi and his followers continued to operate in Hungary until it was completely seized in April 1945, after which time Szálasi fled to Austria. After the war, he was captured by U.S. troops in Germany and returned to Hungary, where he was tried by the People’s Tribunal in Budapest and sentenced to death for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was executed in 1946 in Budapest.