- István Bethlen
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Count István Bethlen de Bethlen Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary In office
14 April 1921 – 24 August 1931
( 10 years, 132 days)Preceded by Pál Teleki Succeeded by Gyula Károlyi Personal details Born 8 October 1874
Gernyeszeg, HungaryDied 5 October 1946 (aged 71)
Moscow, Soviet UnionNationality Hungarian Political party Liberal Party, Independence Party of 48, Constitution Party, Unity Party, Party of National Unity Spouse(s) Countess Margit Bethlen de Bethlen Profession politician, jurist The native form of this personal name is bethleni gróf Bethlen István. This article uses the Western name order.Count István Bethlen de Bethlen (8 October 1874, Gernyeszeg – 5 October 1946, Moscow) was a Hungarian aristocrat and statesman and served as Prime Minister from 1921 to 1931.
The scion of a noble Transylvanian family, Bethlen was elected to the Hungarian parliament as a Liberal in 1901. Later, he served as a representative of the new Hungarian government at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. In that year, the weak centrist Hungarian government collapsed, and was soon replaced by a communist Hungarian Soviet Republic, under the leadership of Béla Kun. Bethlen quickly returned to Hungary to assume leadership of the anti-communist "white" government based in Szeged, along with former Austro-Hungarian admiral Miklós Horthy. After the "white" forces seized control of Hungary, Horthy was appointed Regent. Bethlen again took a seat in the Hungarian parliament, allying with the conservative factions there.
After the attempted return of King Károly IV to the throne of Hungary in 1921, Horthy asked Bethlen to form a strong government to eliminate the possibility of other such threats to the new country. Bethlen founded the Party of National Unity. Through a system of ballot manipulation, handing out government jobs, and changing the electoral law to enfranchise supporters, he was able to form a political machine that was unstoppable in Hungarian politics. Bethlen was also able to unite the two most powerful factors in Hungarian society, the wealthy, primarily Jewish industrialists in Budapest and the old Magyar gentry in rural Hungary, into a lasting coalition; this effectively checked the rise of Fascism in the country for at least a decade. Bethlen was also able to reach an accord with the labor unions, earning their support for the government and eliminating a source of domestic dissent.
During his decade in office, Bethlen led Hungary into the League of Nations and arranged a close alliance with Fascist Italy, even entering into a Treaty of Friendship with Italy in 1927, in order to further the nation's revisionist hopes. He was, however, defeated in his attempts to change the Treaty of Trianon, which stripped Hungary of most of its territory after the First World War. The Great Depression shifted Hungarian politics to the extreme right, and Horthy replaced Bethlen with Gyula Károlyi, followed quickly by Gyula Gömbös, a noted Fascist and antisemite.
Increasingly shunted into political obscurity, Bethlen stood out as one of the few voices in Hungary actively opposed to an alliance with Nazi Germany. As it became apparent that Germany was going to lose the Second World War, Bethlen attempted, unsuccessfully, to negotiate a separate peace with the Allied powers. When Budapest fell to the advancing Soviet troops in April 1945, Bethlen was captured and taken to Moscow, where he died in prison on 5 October 1946.
References
- 130 éve született Bethlen István Fábri Ferenc (Múlt-kor)
- Zsolt Béla: Bethlen
- A SZEFHE Rabonbánja
Political offices Preceded by
Pál TelekiPrime Minister of Hungary
1921–1931Succeeded by
Gyula KárolyiPreceded by
Lajos HegyeshalmiMinister of Finance
Acting
1921Succeeded by
Tibor KállayPreceded by
Emil NagyMinister of Justice
Acting
1924Succeeded by
Pál PesthyPreceded by
Géza DaruváryMinister of Foreign Affairs
Acting
1924Succeeded by
Tibor ScitovszkyPreceded by
István Szabó de NagyatádMinister of Agriculture
Acting
1924Succeeded by
János MayerPreceded by
Pál PesthyMinister of Justice
Acting
1929Succeeded by
Tibor ZsitvayPrime Ministers of Hungary since 1848 Revolution of 1848 Kingdom of Hungary Transition period M. Károlyi · Berinkey · Garbai · Peidl (opposed by G. Károlyi · Pattantyús-Ábrahám) · Friedrich · HuszárRegency Transition period Communist Hungary Republic of Hungary Italics indicates interim holderMinisters of Foreign Affairs of Hungary since 1848 Revolution of 1848 Esterházy · K. BatthyányKingdom of Hungary Festetics · Wenckheim · K. Tisza · Orczy · Szőgyény-Marich · Fejérváry · L. Tisza · Andrássy · Fejérváry · Jósika · D. Bánffy · M. Széchényi · Széll · G. Széchényi · Khuen-Héderváry · I. Tisza · Khuen-Héderváry · Fejérváry · Zichy · Khuen-Héderváry · Lukács · Burián · I. Tisza · Roszner · T. Batthyány · ZichyTransition period T. Batthyány · M. Károlyi · Berinkey · Harrer · Kun · Pogány · Kun · Ágoston · Tánczos · Lovászy · SomssichRegency Transition period Communist Hungary Republic of Hungary Ministers of Finance of Hungary since 1848 Revolution of 1848 Kingdom of Hungary Lónyay · Kerkapoly · Szlávy · Ghyczy · Széll · Tisza · Szapáry · Tisza · Wekerle Sr. · Lukács · Fejérváry · Hegedűs · Wekerle Sr. · Lukács · Teleszky · Gratz · Wekerle Sr. · PopovicsTransition period Regency Hegedüs · Hegyeshalmi · Bethlen · Kállay · Walko · Korányi · Bud · Wekerle Jr. · G. Károlyi · Korányi · Imrédy · Fabinyi · Reményi-SchnellerTransition period Communist Hungary Republic of Hungary Ministers of Justice of Hungary since 1848 Revolution of 1848 Deák · VukovicsKingdom of Hungary Transition period Buza · Berinkey · Juhász Nagy · Ládai (opposed by Pálmai) · Rónai · Garami · Szászy · Baloghy · Zoltán · BárczyRegency Ferdinandy · Tomcsányi · Daruváry · Nagy · Bethlen · Pesthy · Bethlen · Zsitvay · Lázár · Mikecz · Tasnádi Nagy · Radocsay · Antal · VladárTransition period Budinszky · Valentiny · RiesCommunist Hungary Republic of Hungary Revolution of 1848 Klauzál · BatthyányKingdom of Hungary Gorove · Szlávy · Zichy · Bartal · Simonyi · Trefort · Kemény · Széchenyi · Szapáry · A. Bethlen · Fejérváry · Festetics · I. Darányi · Tallián · György · Feilitzsch · I. Darányi · Serényi · Ghillány · Mezőssy · Wekerle · SerényiTransition period Buza · Csizmadia · Nyisztor · Hamburger · Vántus (opposed by Kintzig) · Takács · Győry · I. Szabó · RubinekRegency I. Szabó · Mayer · I. Szabó · I. Bethlen · Mayer · Ivády · Purgly · Kállay · K. Darányi · Marschall · Sztranyavszky · Teleki · Bánffy · JurcsekTransition period Communist Hungary Republic of Hungary F. J. Nagy · Gergátz · J. Szabó · Lakos · F. Nagy · Torgyán · Boros · Vonza · Németh · Gráf · FazekasMinisters of Agriculture, Industry and Trade (1848-1889)Categories:- 1874 births
- 1946 deaths
- People from Mureș County
- Bethlen family
- Prime Ministers of Hungary
- Foreign ministers of Hungary
- Finance ministers of Hungary
- Justice ministers of Hungary
- Agriculture ministers of Hungary
- Members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
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