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 (&100000000000000000000000 years, &1000000000000004800000048 days)
Preceded by	Döme Sztójay
Succeeded by	Ferenc Szálasi (Leader of the Nation)
Personal details
Born	April 30, 1890(1890-04-30) Budapest, Hungary
Died	May 21, 1967(1967-05-21) (aged 77) 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, April 30, 1890 – Adelaide, May 21, 1967) was a general in Hungary during World War II who served briefly as Prime Minister of Hungary, under governor Miklós Horthy from August 29, 1944, until October 15, 1944.

He graduated at Ludovica Military Academy. He was a military attaché in Prague from 1938 to 1944. On August 5, 1943 he succeeded vitéz Gusztáv Jány as commander of the Second Army. On April 1, 1944 he was appointed commander of the 1st Hungarian Army, but this was only until May 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 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. Although virtually all Hungarians detested Communism, the experience of being under the Nazis' thumb led Horthy and Lakatos to conclude the Soviets were the lesser of two evils. On October 15, 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. In 1956, he emigrated to Australia.

References

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• 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.

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 August 5, 1943 – April 1, 1944	Succeeded by Lieutenant-General Lajos Veress
Preceded by Lieutenant-General István Náday	Commander of the Hungarian First Army April 1, 1944 – May 15, 1944	Succeeded by Lieutenant-General Károly Beregfy