Mihály Károlyi

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Count Mihály Adam Georg Nikolaus Károlyi von Nagykárolyi (March 4, 1875-March 20, 1955) was briefly Hungary's leader in 1918-19 during an ill-fated spell of democracy. He served as Prime Minister between November 1-16, 1918 and as President between November 16 1918-March 21 1919.

Background and Early Career

The Károlyi family were an illustrious extremely wealthy, Roman Catholic aristocratic familiy that had played an important role in Hungarian life since the 17th century. He was born in Fót, Austria-Hungary in what is today Hungary. In his youth, he been a wastrel, but as he grew older, he became determined to devote himself to more serious pursuits. In 1909, he became the President of the OMGE (National Agriculutral Society), the main rural organization of the nobility. Initially, a supporter of the existing political and social system in Hungary, Károlyi gradually drifted ever more and more left-wing during his career.

In 1910, Károlyi was elected to Parliament as a member of the opposition Party of Independence. During the First World War, Károlyi had started out as supporter of the war, but as the war continued, Károlyi had become the war's most notable critic in Parliament. On November 7 1914 in Budapest, Károlyi married Countess Katalin Andrássy de Csik-Szent-Király et Kraszna-Horka, who he had three children by. Károlyi's wife was a member of one of Hungary's most powerful families, and this marriage won Károlyi the protection of his influential father-in-law. In 1916 Károlyi broke with his party which had found him to be too radical to form a new party, called the United Party of Independence and of 1848, and generally known as the Károlyi Party.

The Károlyi Party was always a weak group with no mass organization and only 20 members in Parliament, most of whom had little serious commitement to the party. Károlyi argued for peace with the Allies, looser ties between Austria and Hungary, abolishing the franchise and language requirements that allowed only 5.8% of the male population to vote and run for office before the war, and giving women the right to vote and hold office. In particular, Károlyi's demand in 1915 that veterans should be granted the right to vote won much popular support while enraging the Prime Minister, Count Istvan Tisza. During the war, Károlyi had made covert contacts with British and French diplomats in Switzerland. In January 1918, Károlyi had proclaimed himself a follower of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points.

Leading the People's Republic

Following the Chrysanthemum Revolution of October 1918, Károlyi found himself much to his surprise leading the nation. On October 25 1918 Károlyi had formed an opposition National Council. His reputation as an opponent of the much-hated war had thrust Károlyi into a role for which he was not suited. He was named Prime Minister by King-Emperor Charles IV as a part of a desperate attempt to hold Hungary to the Habsburgs. Károlyi did not much care for the Habsburgs, but he would have preferred to keep the monarchy and some of link to Austria if possible. Only after Charles's abdication as King of Hungary on November 16 1918 did Károlyi proclaim the People's Republic of Hungary with himself as Provisional President. On January 11 1919 the National Council formally recognized him as President.

Furthermore, there was a widespread belief that Károlyi could get Hungary soft peace terms from the Allies. Károlyi headed the Provisional Government between November 1-16, 1918. On November 16 1918 the Hungarian People's Republic was proclaimed. Károlyi ruled Hungary through an National Council now transformed into the government that consisted of his party in alliance with the large Social Democrat Party and the small Radical Party led by Oszkár Jászi. At the same time, there existed various revolutionary councils not unlike the Soviets (Councils) that existed in Russia in 1917 and which were dominated by the Social Democrats. This situation of Dual Power gave Károlyi responsibility without much power while giving the Social Democrats power without much responsibility. During his brief period in power, Károlyi and Jászi, who served as Nationalities Minister, tried to create an "Eastern Switzerland" by persuading the non-Magyar peoples of Hungary to stay as part of the new Hungarian People's Republic. This effort completeley failed as the non-Magyar peoples preferred to join Romania, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia; the long years of "oppression" by the Magyars had "borne fruit".

Additional trouble for the new government occurred over the question of the armistice. Austria-Hungary had signed a lenient armistice in Padua, Italy with Allies on November 3 1918. Since Hungary was now independent, some in the Cabinet argued that Hungary needed to sign a new armistice. Against his better judgement, Károlyi agreed to this idea, and had Hungary signed in November 1918, a new armistice with the Allies in Belgrade with the Allied Commander in the Balkans, the French Marshal Louis Franchet d'Esperey. Marshal Franchet d'Esperey treated the Hungarians with open contempt and imposed a much harsher armistice on the defeated nation than the Padua armistice had. This was the source of much criticism of Károlyi, who been expected and who himself expected the Allies to treat Hungary as a friend, not an enemy. Moreover, Károlyi's opponents argued that by needlessly seeking a second armistice, Károlyi had worsened Hungary's situation.

Furthermore, the Social Democrats who were Hungary's largest party by far, frequently undercut Károlyi and imposed their decisions on him without taking responsibility for their actions. Károlyi wished to transfer almost all of the rural land to the peasants. To create an example, he gave all of his own vast family estates to his tenants. But this was the only land transfer that took place; the Social Democrats blocked any measures that might give control of the land to the peasantry under grounds that it was promoting capitalism. In another equally unfortunate move, the pacific-minded Károlyi had abolished almost all the Hungarian armed forces in November 1918. All through the winter of 1918-19, the Romanians, the Yugoslavs and the Czechoslovaks often broke the armistice in order to seize more territory for themselves. After January 1919, Károlyi ordered the build-up of a Hungarian army and started to consider the idea of an alliance with Soviet Russia, through Károlyi was opposed to the idea of Communism in Hungary itself.

In addition, as Hungary had signed an armistice, not a peace treaty, the Allied blockade continued until such time as a peace treaty was signed. Hungary had suffered from food shortages throughout the war and deaths from starvation had become common from 1917 onwards. Furthermore, the country had been overwhelmed with refugees from Transylvania and Galicia. Making things worse was the creation of Czechoslovakia which had cut Hungary off from supplies of German coal. Hungary which possessed little coal depended upon German coal imports. Without coal, most had to live without heat in the winter of 1918-19, and the railroad network had gradually ceased to function. The collapse of railroads in their turn caused the collapse of industry and hence mass unemployment. Making things worse was the economic incompetence of the government who printed more and more money leading to massive inflation and even more impoverishment. Károlyi's failure to improve living conditions or persuade the Allies to lift the blockade lead to public much criticism of Károlyi.

Károlyi was a well-meaning, but ineffective left-leaning liberal who was hopeless as Hungary's leader. Baron Lajos Hatvany described Károlyi's leadership well when he noted "From the discussions no decisions arose and from the decisions no actions. A cabinet? No, it was a debating club""1. . In the same vein, the British writer Harold Nicolson who had known Károlyi during his exile in Britain when reviewing Károlyi's memoirs in 1957 noted that:"he had many qualities, but unfortunately lacked those for which a man is taken seriously by serious people""2.

On March 20 1919 the French presented the Vyx Note ordering Hungarian troops further back into Hungary; it was widely assumed that the military lines would be the new frontiers. The Social Democrats merged their party with the Communists led by Béla Kun and announced Károlyi's resignation. At that point, Károlyi resigned and retired from active politics. In July 1919, Károlyi went into exile in France and during World War Two, in Britain. Throughout the Horthy era, Károlyi was in a state of official disgrace in his homeland. In 1946, Károlyi who by this time became a socialist returned to Hungary and from 1947-49 he served as the Hungarian Ambassador to France. In 1949, he resigned in protest over the show trial and execution of László Rajk. He wrote two volumes of memoirs in exile; Egy Egesz Vilag Ellen (Against the Entire World) in 1925 and Memoirs: Faith without Illusion in 1954. He died in Vence, France.

Károlyi's Cabinet

Endnotes

1 Vermes, Gabor "The October Revolution In Hungary" from Hungary in Revolution edited by Ivan Volgyes Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1971 page 49.

2 Menczer, Bela "Bela Kun and the Hungarian Revolution of 1919" pages 299-309 Volume XIX, Issue #5, May 1969, History Today Inc: London page 301.

References

  • Deak, Istvan "The Decline and Fall of Habsburg Hungary, 1914-18" pages 10-30 from Hungary in Revolution edited by Ivan Volgyes Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1971.
  • Menczer, Bela "Bela Kun and the Hungarian Revolution of 1919" pages 299-309 from History Today Volume XIX, Issue #5, May 1969, History Today Inc: London
  • Pastor, Peter, Hungary between Wilson and Lenin: the Hungarian revolution of 1918-1919 and the Big Three, Boulder : East European Quarterly ; New York : distributed by Columbia University Press, 1976.
  • Szilassy, Sándor Revolutionary Hungary, 1918-1921, Astor Park. Fla., Danubian Press 1971.
  • Vermes, Gabor "The October Revolution In Hungary" pages 31-60 from Hungary in Revolution edited by Ivan Volgyes Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1971.
Count Mihály Károlyi
Rank: 1st
Term: October 31 1918- March 20, 1919
Predecessor: King Charles IV
Successor: Sandor Garbai
Date of Birth: March 4, 1875
Place of Birth: Fot, Austria-Hungary
Date of Death: March 20, 1955
Place of Death: Vence, France
Spouse: Katalin Andrássy
Profession: land-owner
Political Party: Party of Independence United Party of Independence and of 1848
Preceded by Prime Minister of Hungary
1918–1919 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Provisional President of Hungary
1918–1919 		Succeeded by
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