Admiral Mikolos Horthy became regent to Hungary in 1920 and played a prominent role in the mobilization of the Axis powers during the Second World War. He also sacrificed the Hungarian Jewish population in order to appease the Hitlerite machine. He ruthlessly smashed workers marches and democratic demonstrations. Horthy refused to believe the Austro- Hungarian Empire had collapsed and saw an opportunity to use a powerful German ally as leverage to re-claim what he believed was rightfully his. Despite the ruthless tyrant’s iron rule, Hungarians today have erected his statue and portraits once more as the nation seeks national pride.

Why would a fascist tyrant be once again glorified so many decades after his overthrow?

Hungary’s fascist tyrant has been rehabilitated amongst a continent-wide swing to right wing ideologies. In Poland the right-wing conservative party (PIS) holds a total of 48 seats in the senate strengthening their influence on government to the point of being able to enforce their own agenda upon Polish society. In recent times they have removed Communist-era monuments and vowed to wipe out any reminders of their communist past. This also seems to be the case in Hungary today. The older population who lived in communist Poland find the new policies reminding them of a Hitlerite dictatorship. However, the younger population seem to only remember a time when Poland seemingly lacked independence from Soviet influence, forgetting the role the Soviet Union played in Poland’s liberation. The Hungarian Government has implemented a new curriculum in schools which teaches the “horrors of communism” and applauds Horthy’s fascist regime. All of this is in the name of “rehabilitating” Hungary’s “true” history and promoting national pride. If history has taught us anything, the promotion of national pride devoid of class consciousness is the neighbor of fascist led racist violence. Young supporters of this fascist turn claim that Horthy is a symbol of Hungarian independence. Their rationale for this is that during the Cold War, the Soviet Union had some influence on the government of Hungary. Regardless, Hungarians are divided on whether the social standard was better under communism or under their free market economy.