Throughout the Second World War, there were many execution that took place inside of countries
that fell under the control of Nazi Germany.
Hungary was a country which became linked to the Nazis and Hitler and was part of the
Axis alliance, with Hungarian forces fighting alongside the Wehrmacht in many different
theatres of the conflict, including in the brutality of the Eastern Front.
The country would also deport thousands of their people to concentration camps where
they were killed within minutes of entering camps such as Auschwitz.
But one man who was considered very powerful inside of Hungary was Bela Imredy, who became
the prime minister before the Second World War broke out.
He was a right wing politician, but his time in power was shortlived as he was forced out
by fascists.
However he did make laws which made the lives of many people a complete misery.
But he was executed after the conflict had come to an end, and his execution was performed
in public in front of a huge crowd.
Join us today as we look at the execution of the prime minister of Hungary, and remember
as always to support our channel please make sure to subscribe.
Bela Imredy was born on the 29th December 1891 inside of Budapest which at the time
was within Austria Hungary.
He was born into a catholic country, and Imredy had a normal upbringing before he then went
on to study law before he took a job in the Hungarian Ministry of Finance.
He rose throughout the economic ranks and he became the Director of the Hungarian National
Bank in 1928 and then in 1932 he was made the Minister of Finance serving under the
Prime Minister at the time Gyula Gombos.
Following resigning 3 years later, Imredy then became the President of the National
Bank, and he was at the heart of the economics of the country yet again.
But he was a very ambitious man, and he was a man who was known for being right wing,
and he was also pro-brutish.
He then became a minister of economic co-ordination under a new prime minister, however following
yet another resignation, he was himself appointed by Regent Miklos Horthy the Prime Minister.
Bela Imredy would try to improve the diplomatic relations that Hungary had with the British
to try to link the two countries through trade and other routes.
However this made him not very popular with Nazi Germany and also Fascist Italy.
Hitler and Mussolini were not very impressed with Bela Imredy, and he realised that he
could not alienate these two dictators and their powers for long as he believed that
Hungary would need them economically.
He then switched his policies and ideas, and he became more pro-German and pro-Italian.
But he wanted to establish ring wing politics in the Hungarians government, and he created
the Movement of Hungarian Life.
He would try to stamp out any rivals who threatened his policies including wiping out the power
of prominent fascists, and these were pressured by Imredy’s government.
But as he moved his government further towards the right and the ideas of Nazi Germany and
Mussolini’s Italy, he wanted his country and government to become more totalitarian,
and he brought in laws that brought about the restriction of the freedom of the press.
He also brought in laws that were antisemitic and caused the jews across Hungary to have
financial restrictions applied on them, and many became very poor because of this.
However inside of Hungary, many of his political opponents became very angry towards him as
they believed he was leading his country to become too much like Germany and Italy, and
they then got together and presented evidence to the Regent Miklos Horthy regarding Imredy’s
heritage.
They showed that his great grandfather was Jewish, and with this he was accused of double
standards and hypocrisy.
The Regent then confronted Imredy about this, and he did not deny this and because of his
heritage he was forced out of office, and on the 13th February 1939 he resigned his
position as the Prime Minister.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War he then served in the Hungarian Army,
before he would go back into politics, founding an antisemitic fascist party known as the
Party of Hungarian Renewal.
However he tried to promote this cause for years, but in 1944 the Germans occupied Hungary
and it was believed that Imredy with his pro Nazi beliefs and policies would make a miraculous
comeback into politics.
He was the top choice of high ranking Nazis to replace the prime minister, however the
regent could not accept this idea and another man was named Prime Minister instead.
But Imredy would come back to government and he was now the Minister of Economic Coordination,
but after a few months he resigned.
Following the ousting of the German forces from Hungary, Imredy was then arrested by
his people and was brought to trial.
He was brought in front of the People’s Tribunal in Budapest on the 14th November
1943, and within 9 days he had been sentenced to death.
He was charged with enacting the anti-Jewish legislation across Hungary that caused mass
suffering and hardship, as well as being in collaboration with Hitler, Mussolini and the
Nazis.
For these crimes he was sentenced to death, and he was then to be executed inside of Budapest.
He was brought outside the Academy of Music in Budapest on the 28th February 1946, and
the 54 year old was led towards an execution site which had been created.
He was stood by a set of sandbags which were there to make sure that any bullets did not
richochet off anywhere.
Stood opposite him were a number of executioners who were primed with their rifles.
The witnesses and many policemen were stood to the side, and when given the order to fire,
the executioners shot straight into Bela Imredy, the former Prime Minister of Hungary.
Bela Imredy was a politician who became the prime minister of Hungary just before the
Second World War broke out.
He was one of a number of prime ministers during the turbulent years inside of the country,
and he was a man who wanted to move the land closer to the Nazis and Italians as it’s
believed he was fearful of Hitler and Mussolini.
He began his career in politics pro-british, however its clear that he was easily manipulated
as he quickly changed his ideas as Hitler was not impressed.
He would meet his end at the sharp end of the firing squad, and because of his crimes
and laws against jews and other people, he was sentenced to death.
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