Hungarian Heroes

The first man is Petőfi Sándor, born January 1823, died July 31, 1849. Petőfi was born in Kiskőrös and died in Segesvár battling the Austrians and Russians. He held various theatrical jobs, also a teacher and even as a soldier in Sopron. He started publishing his poetry in 1844 which became increasingly popular. Petőfi was developing growing revolutionary passions which grew to thoughts of a global revolution. In 1848, he co-authored “12 Points,” which were demands to the Habsburg Governor General nearly all of which are incorporated in our own U. S. Constitution. A few of these points included freedom of the press, civil and religious equality, juries and courts based on equal legal representation. But what brought Petőfi lasting acclaim was Nemzeti Dal (National Song). This song was taught me as a young lad by my mother after we came to America:

The National Song

On your feet, Magyar, the homeland calls!
The time is here, now or never!
Shall we be slaves or free?
This is the question, choose your answer!
By the God of the Hungarians
We vow, We vow, that we won’t be slaves any longer!

At the age of 26, Petőfi Sándor fought in the battle of Segesvár where he was last seen on July 31, 1849. After the battle his body was never found. It is as if he evaporated while his 12 Points and National Song solidified becoming widely popular. It is said Petőfi created a well-formed persona for himself: a jaunty, stubborn loner who loves wine, hates all kinds of limits and boundaries and is passionate in all he feels: these being liberty and love.

It could be said that Petőfi was the soul of Hungary.

The next man is Kossuth Lajos, born on September 19, 1802 and died on March 20, 1894 at age 91.  He had a Lutheran background.  He studied at the Protestant Academy of Sárospatak, where he studied law.  He was a substitute delegate to the national Diet (which is the assembly or congress) in 1832 where Kossuth developed his political and social philosophy.  Liberty for Kossuth meant above all else, national liberty.  He dreamed of becoming the champion of the oppressed. 

In 1837 the government (Austria) had enough of Kossuth’s activities, arrested him, charging him with disloyalty, sedition and imprisoned him for three years.  During these three years Kossuth mastered the English language using the works of Shakespear and the Bible.  Later in 1849, the county of Pest elected Kossuth in the next Diet, assuming leadership of the national opposition.  During this time revolution was happening in Paris, and later an uprising in Italy.  It was a sign of the times, several countries were trying to establish their own freedoms.  Kossuth became the life and force of the more extreme nationalist movement and the Diet appointed him virtual dictator of Hungary.  Time soon brought out his greatness and his weaknesses; his magnetism, his courage, his intolerance, his lack of wisdom, his wanton provocation of insuperable difficulties and his genius at overcoming them.  In 1849 the Diet elected Kossuth Governor of Hungary. 

Kossuth Song (English)

Lajos Kossuth has sent word
His regiment has run out
If he sends word once more
All of us will have to go
Long live Hungarian liberty!
Long live the homeland!

At the pleading of Austria, Russia entered the war and quickly overcame the Hungarian forces.  Kossuth resigned and took refuge in Turkey.  He was seen to be the shining symbol of freedom fighting the powers of darkness.  Meanwhile, the United States’ Senate extended a unanimous invitation to Kossuth and President Fillmore’s administration negotiated to give permission for him to sail from Turkey.  After a brief but inspired layover in England, Kossuth sailed to America, in New York City on December 6, 1851.  The mayor addressed him as the enlightened representative of Hungarian independence, the champion of human progress, and the eloquent advocate of universal freedom.  Kossuth was the first foreign statesman since Lafayette to address a joint session of congress.  He also met Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois where Lincoln said, “Kossuth Lajos was the most worthy and distinguished representative of the cause of civil and religious liberty on the continent of Europe.”  While in America, Kossuth printed the famous 1, 2, and 5 Forint notes.  After his visit to the United States, streets, squares and even some towns and counties were named after Kossuth.  Iowa has a county in northern Iowa named after Kossuth.  The American Hungarian Federation commissioned a bronze bust of Kossuth Lajos in 1990 offering it to the U.S. Congress placing it in the Capital Rotunda, and being one of only two honoring non-Americans in the Capital.  

While Petőfi was the soul of Hungary, Kossuth was the spirit of Hungary.  

Our third distinguished hero is Horthy Miklós.  Horthy was born June 18, 1868 in Hungary, and passed away in Portugal on February 9, 1957.  At age 14, he enrolled in the Maritime Academy in Fiume on the Adriatic sea coast.  He learned Italian, Croatian, and spoke German, English and French fluently.  In the pre-WWI era he was a sub-lieutenant and served as Franz Joseph’s aide-de-camp.  During WWI Horthy became a rear admiral and then vice admiral.  He became the last commander in chief of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.  

During the time of the 1919 Hungarian Soviet Republic, he joined the counter revolutionary government in the town of Szeged.  There Horthy became minister of war and played a significant role forcing Béla Kun’s communist government to flee after their 133 day reign of terror.  

After the disastrous Treaty of Trianon, which implied that Hungary would perish, Horthy, the Regent, played a huge role in making Hungary not only survive the trauma, but show signs of development.  Foreign policy between the two world wars was driven by the goal of territorial revision.  This resulted in 1938 in the return of part of Upper Hungary; in 1939 Trans Carpathia; in 1940 Northern Transylvania; and in 1941 parts of Serbia.  

Horthy tried to pursue a pro-English policy at the beginning of WWII and to remain militarily neutral, but he succeeded in accomplishing neither.  

On March 19, 1944 Nazi Germany occupied Hungary.  Horthy intervened and stopped deportation of the Jews in the mid-summer of 1944.  In October 1944 Horthy tried to lead Hungary out of the war, but the Germans kidnapped his son and Horthy was compelled to step down.  The Germans held Horthy and his family prisoners.  He was placed in the Dachau concentration camp.

In March 1945 Himmler ordered the execution of the Regent and his whole family.  The executions were not carried out because the SS guards dressed themselves in civilian clothes and fled at the arrival of the American troops.  At the Nuremberg trial no charges were brought against Horthy.

Horthy retired from political life and moved to Portugal after the war.  He passed away February 9, 1957.  He was 88 years old.  It is said that he died of a broken heart after the failed revolution of 1956.

If Petőfi was the soul of Hungary, and if Kossuth was the spirit of Hungary, then Horthy was the body.  He was the flesh, the military man who called his people to follow him into battle.  He was the one who experienced the breaking up of Hungary and then fought to bring it back together again.