Hungary’s communist experiment collapses

Budapest, 4 August 1919 - Hungary’s experiment with communist rule has ended with the overthrow of the Béla Kun-led government in Budapest.

The Hungarian Soviet Republic has now become the Hungarian Republic, led by moderate socialists headed by new Prime Minister Gyula Peidl. The trade unions of Budapest are behind the new government.

The transfer of power occurred following a sitting of the governing council which had been convened by Béla Kun himself, at which he provided a bleak assessment of the country’s political and military situation.

At that meeting, the Deputy Commissary of the Interior delivered a long speech in which he stated that the Soviet system established in March 1919 had been dependant on three factors – a world revolution; Russian military aid; and the readiness of the Hungarian proletariat to bear sacrifices. None of these scenarios had materialised.

Béla Kun offered the view that the Soviet had fallen because there were many among the proletariat who didn’t understand socialism.

Kun added that he didn’t hold high hopes for the new government. ‘We hand over the power to them in order to avoid the entrance of the enemy. In my opinion a white terror will come sooner or later. Then the proletarians will see what socialism means.’

Reacting to events in Budapest, the allies have expressed their satisfaction that a stable government had been established in Hungary, adding that they expected the immediate demobilisation of the Hungarian army and respect for the frontiers established by the Paris Peace Conference.

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]