Géza Lakatos

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 24, 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.

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. 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.

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.
* Ignac Romsics: Hungary in the Twentieth Century, Budapest: Corvina, 1999.