István Balogh (politician)

Father Istvan Balogh was a Hungarian priest and anti-communist politician who later tolerated the rule of the Hungarian Communist Party.

Initially associated with the Independent Smallholders Party he became a supporter of Nazism for a time during the 1930s and from his base in Debrecen formed a version of the Hungarian National Socialist Party. Both he and Sándor Festetics were elected to Parliament for this group in 1936. [Stanley G. Payne, "A History of Fascism 1914-1945", London, Roultedge, 2001, p. 270] He was part of the Hungarian provisional government established in 1945 and travelled to Moscow to sign the 1945 armistice. [ [http://www.kfki.hu/~bognor/angol/node16.html 'A Meeting with the Members of the Provisional Government'] ]

After the war Balogh led the Independent Hungarian Democrats, a minor opposition group which was largely controlled by the government. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,804171,00.html "Too Much Medicine"] ] His list captured 5.2% of the vote in the 1947 election [J Rothschild & N. W. Wingfield [http://digital.library.upenn.edu/ebooks-public/pdfs/0195119924.pdf 'Return to Diversity'] , p. 100] although his opposition soon died down and he effectively co-operated with the communists despite his personal reservations. [László Borhi, "Hungary in the Cold War, 1945-1956", p. 164] Although seen as a potential focus of dissent Balogh stayed away from any direct involvement in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. [ [http://www.xenu.net/archive/go/felix/ch_ii5.htm 'Defeat, But Not Diluted'] ]

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