Béla Miklós

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Vitéz Béla Miklós de Dálnok
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary
In office
22 December 1944
(officially 28 March 1945) – 15 November 1945
(&100000000000000000000000 years, &10000000000000328000000328 days)
Leader High National Council
Preceded by Ferenc Szálasi
(Arrow Cross regime)
Succeeded by Zoltán Tildy
Personal details
Born June 11, 1890(1890-06-11)
Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Died November 21, 1948(1948-11-21) (aged 58)
Budapest, Hungary
Political party Hungarian Independence Party
Profession Soldier, politician

Knight Béla Miklós de Dálnok (11 June 1890 – 21 November 1948) was a Hungarian military officer and politician who served as acting Prime Minister of Hungary, at first in opposition, and then officially, from 1944 to 1945.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early career

Dálnoki was born in Budapest.

Miklós was briefly chief of military intelligence until he was appointed military attaché to Berlin and Stockholm between 1933 and 1936, eventually coming to lead his own regiment. After rising from regimental to corps command, he became military director of the office of Admiral Miklós Horthy, regent of Hungary, in October 1942.

[edit] Late World War II

Miklós became commanding general of the Hungarian First Army from August 1, 1944 and he supported leaving the Axis powers and joining the Red Army. On 16 October 1944, Miklós was ordered to appear at the headquarters of German General Heinrici. Suspicious of an eventual arrest, he defected through the Hungarian front with one of his aides and two sergeants. He approached the Soviet forces. After some apprehension, they escorted Dálnoki to Lisko, near Przemyśl. This was the location of the Soviet general headquarters.

Miklós arrived at Lisko on the morning of 17 October. Per the request of the Soviets, he spoke on the radio and made a plea for the commanding officers of his Hungarian First Army to defect with their units to the Soviets.

The Soviets re-armed prisoners of war and planned to form a Hungarian liberation army from the defectors. But, with the exception of one regimental commander, no other Hungarian officer defected in response to Miklós's plea. The one regimental commander who did defect was arrested by the Germans and immediately executed.

A few days later Soviet emissaries were sent to negotiate with Miklós about the formation of a Hungarian counter-Government. These negotiations came to nothing.

[edit] Interim government

On December 21, 1944 the Interim Assembly met in Debrecen. Representatives were present from the Communist, Smallholders, Social Democratic, Peasant Party and Citizen's party. The Assembly elected the interim government, with Soviet approval, which was headed by Miklós. He remained in this post until the coming elections on November 15, 1945.

[edit] Later career

Before the 1947 Hungarian parliamentary election he joined the Hungarian Independence Party, where he was a leading member. Although he got into the parliament, he was illegally deprived of his mandate by the communists. After that Miklós retired from politics, and became isolated politically. His family was harassed and his son was resettled.

Béla Miklós died in Budapest on 21 November 1948. He did not receive military honours at his funeral.

[edit] References

Political offices
Preceded by
Ferenc Szálasi
Prime Minister of Hungary
1944–1945
Succeeded by
Zoltán Tildy
Military offices
Preceded by
Lieutenant-General Károly Beregfy
Commander of the Hungarian First Army
August 1, 1944 – October 16, 1944
Succeeded by
Lieutenant-General Dezső László


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