Miklos Horthy

Following the collapse of the Hungarian Soviet Republic and the Treaty of Trianon, the Hungarian National Assembly appointed Horthy as Regent. He assumed head of state powers, ruling Hungary as a conservative authoritarian regime until 1944.

As regent, Horthy oversaw Hungary's acceptance of the Treaty of Trianon, which reduced Hungary's territory by two-thirds and population by half. The treaty caused national trauma and revanchist sentiment that defined Horthy's foreign policy.

Horthy aligned Hungary with Nazi Germany, joining the Tripartite Pact in November 1940. This alliance allowed Hungary to regain territories from Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia, but ultimately led to German occupation in 1944.

After Horthy attempted to negotiate a separate peace with the Allies, German forces occupied Hungary in March 1944. Horthy was forced to appoint a pro-German government and remained regent under German supervision until October.

In October 1944, Horthy announced an armistice with the Soviet Union, hoping to save Hungary from destruction. The attempt failed when German commandos kidnapped his son and forced Horthy to resign, installing a fascist Arrow Cross government.

After the war, Horthy was captured by American forces and held as a prisoner of war. Released in 1946, he went into exile in Estoril, Portugal, where he lived until his death in 1957, never returning to Hungary.