LÁSZLÓ RITTER: LEADING POLITICIANS OF THE HUNGARIAN WORKERS PARTY (1948-1956) AND THE HUNGARIAN SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY (1956-1989), Cold War History Research Center, Csaba Bekes

LEADING POLITICIANS OF THE HUNGARIAN WORKERS PARTY (1948-1956)
AND THE HUNGARIAN SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY (1956-1989)

Compiled by
László RITTER

Budapest, 2003

[For more names see: www.rev.hu]

APRÓ, Antal (1913-1994): member HWP PC 1953-1956; deputy prime minister, October 24, 1953-October 31,1956; member of the HWP Military Committee, October 26-31 1956; member HSWP PEC (later PC), November 1956-1980; minister of industry, November 1956- May 1957; deputy prime minister, 1957-1971; permanent representative to the COMECOM, 1961-1971.

BISZKU, Béla (1921-): secretary of the HWP Budapest 13^th district committee, 1955-October 31, 1956; member HSWP PEC (later PC), November 1956-1980; minister of the interior, February 1957-1961; deputy prime minister, 1961-1962, secretary of the HSWP CC for foreign affairs, December 1974- March 1975.

BOLDOCZKI, János (1912-1986): minister of foreign affairs, July 1953-August 1956; ambassador to Moscow, April-August 1957.

CZINEGE, Lajos (1924-1998): member of the HWP Military Committee, October 26-31 1956; one of the organisers of the Workers’ Militia, 1957; first secretary of the local HSWP committee in Szolnok Country, 1957-1960; minister of defence with the rank of army commander, May 1960- December 1984; candidate member HSWP PC, 1961-1970; deputy prime minister, 1984-1987.

CSÉMI, Károly (1922-1992): commander of the 1. security force regiment, November 1956-1957; commander of the Army Academy, 1957-1961; commander of the 5^th army, 1961-1963; chief of the general staff, 1963-1973; deputy minister of defence, 1963-1973.

FEHÉR, Lajos (1917-1981): member of the HWP Military Committee, October 26-31 1956, member HSWP PEC (later PC), November 1956-1981; deputy prime minister 1962-1974.

FOCK, Jenő (1916-): member HSWP PC, June 1957-1980; deputy prime minister, May 1961-April 1967; prime minister, April 14 1967-May 15 1975.

GÁSPÁR, Sándor (1917-2002): candidate member HWP PC, June-October 23 1956; member HWP PC, October 23-28 1956; candidate member HSWP PC 1959-1962; member HWP PC 1962-1988; general secretary (later president) of the National Council of the Trade Unions, 1965-1985.

Gerő, Ernő (1898-1980): member HCP (later HWP) PC, 1945-October 25, 1956; deputy prime minister, 1952-October 25, 1956; minister of the interior, July 1953- July 1954; first secretary of the HWP July 17 -October 25, 1956.

GRÓSZ, Károly (1930-1996): first secretary of the local committee HSWP in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén Country, 1979-1984; first secretary of the HSWP committee in Budapest, 1984-1987; member HSWP PC, 1985-1988; head of the HSWP, May 1988-June 1989; prime minister, June 25, 1987-November 24, 1988.

HEGEDÜS, András (1922-1999): member HWP PC, 1951-October 25 1956; deputy prime minister, 1953-1956; prime minister, April 18, 1955-October 24, 1956; deputy prime minister October 25-27 1956.

HIDAS, István (1914-?): member HCP PC, 1951-October 25 1956; deputy prime minister, 1952-1953 and 1954-October 27, 1956.

HORN, Gyula (1932-): officer of the Soviet Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1951-1961; officer of the Hungarian embassy in Sofia, later in Belgrade, 1961-1969; senior officer at the department of foreign affairs of the HSWP Central Committee, 1969-1985; under-secretary of state for foreign affairs, 1985-1989; minister of foreign affairs, May 1989- May 1990.

KÁDÁR, János (1912-1989): member HCP (later HWP) PC 1945-1951 and July-October 1956; elected first secretary of the HWP, October 25 1956; elected minister of state, October 31 1956; prime minister, November 4, 1956- January 28, 1958, then September 13, 1961- June 30, 1965; head of the HSWP, November 1956- May 1988; chairman of HSWP, May 1988-June 1989.

KÁLLAI, Gyula (1910-1996): member HSWP PEC (later PC), November 1956-1975; minister of cultural affairs, 1956-1958, minister of state, 1958-1960; deputy prime minister, 1960-1965; prime minister June 30, 1965-April 14, 1967; president of the National Assembly 1967-1971.

KÁRPÁTI, Ferenc (1926-): head of the committee of the Hungarian People’s Army of the HSWP, 1958-1970; chief of the political directorate of the People’s Army, 1970-1985; deputy minister of defence, 1970-1985; minister of defence, December 1985-May 1990.

KELETI, Ferenc (1910-1979): senior officer of the administrative department of the Central Committee of the HCP (later HWP), 1945-1956; ambassador to Bucharest, July 1956-November 1959; chairman of the Council of Pest Country, 1959-1963.

KOMÓCSIN, Zoltán (1923-1974): head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda of the HWP Central Committee, 1954-1955; first secretary of the local HWP (later HSWP) committee in Hajdú-Bihar Country, 1955-1957; candidate member of the HSWP PC, 1957-1962; member of the HSWP PC, 1962-1974; secretary of the HSWP CC for foreign affairs, June 1965 – December 1974.

MÓD, Péter (1911-): officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from July 1956; ambassador to the United Nations, December 1956- December 1961; deputy minister of foreign affairs, 1961-1968, ambassador to Paris, 1968-1974.

MÜNNICH, Ferenc (1886-1967): ambassador to the USSR, September 1954-August 1956; ambassador to Yugoslavia, August 1956-October 26, 1956; member of the Military Committee, October 26-31 1956; minister of interior, October 27-31 1956; deputy premier, 3 November 1956-1958, member of HSWP PEC (later PC) November 1956 – 1966; prime minister January 28, 1958-September 13, 1961.

NAGY, Imre (1896-1958): member of the HCP (later HWP) PC 1945-1949, 1951-1955 and October 23-30 1956; prime minister, July 4, 1955 –April 18, 1955; expelled from the party, December 1955; readmitted on October 13, 1956; reappointed prime minister, October 24, 1956; took refuge in the Yugoslav embassy, November 4, 1956; deported to Romania on November 22 and arrested on April 14, 1957; sentenced to death June 15, 1958; executed on June 16.

NEMES, Dezső (1908-1985): rector of the Party Academy, 1956; candidate member of the HSWP PC, June 1957-1959; chief editor of the Népszabadság, the daily newspaper of the HSWP, 1957-1959 and 1977-1980; member HSWP PC, 1959-1980; secretary of the HSWP CC for foreign affairs, September 1961- June 1965.

NÉMETH, Miklós (1948-): deputy head of the National Planning Institute, 1977-1981; head of the department of economic policy of HSWP CC, 1986; secretary in charge of economic policy of the HSWP CC, 1987-1988; member HSWP PC, 1988-1989; prime minister, November, 24 1988-May 23, 1990.

NYERS, Rezső (1923-): vice-president of the National Alliance of Cooperatives, 1954-1956; minister of food industry and commissioner of provisions, August-November 1956; minister of finance, 1960-1962; candidate member of HSWP PC, 1962-1966; secretary of the HSWP CC, 1962-1974; member HSWP PC, 1970-1974 and 1988-1989; chairman of the HSWP, June-October 1989.

OLÁH, István (1926-1985): deputy chief of the training directorate of the Hungarian People’s Army, 1964-1966; chief of the training directorate of the People’s Army and deputy minister of defence, 1966-1973; chief of the general staff, January 1973-December 1984; minister of defence, from December 1984-December 1985.

PÉTER, János (1910-): protestant bishop of Debrecen, 1949-1957, deputy minister of foreign affairs, 1958-1961; minister of foreign affairs, September 1961- December 1973.

PUJA, Frigyes (1921-): ambassador to Stockholm, 1953-1955; ambassador to Vienna, 1955-1959; deputy minister of foreign affairs, 1959-1963; head of the foreign affairs department of HSWP CC, 1963-1968; deputy minister of foreign affairs, 1968-1973; secretary for foreign affairs, August-December 1973; minister of foreign affairs, December 1973- July 1983.

RÉVÉSZ, Géza (1902-1977): head of the Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, 1948-1953; deputy (military) president of the State Planning Office, 1955-1957; minister of defence, March 1957-1960; ambassador to Moscow, 1960-1963.

SZIRMAI, István (1906-1969): head of the Council of Ministers’ Office of Information, December 1956-1957; head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda of the HSWP CC, 1957-1959; head of the Agitprop Committee of the HSWP CC, 1959-1969; candidate member of HSWP PC, 1959-1962; secretary of the HSWP CC, 1959-1966; member of HSWP PC, 1962-1969.

SZŰRÖS, Mátyás (1933-): officer, later senior officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1959-1962; deputy head of the department of foreign affairs of the HSWP CC, 1974-1975; officer of the Hungarian Embassy in Berlin, 1975-1978; ambassador to Moscow, 1978-1982; head of the department of foreign affairs of the HSWP CC, 1982-1983; secretary of the HSWP CC for foreign affairs, July 1983- March 1989; provisional president of the Hungarian republic, October 1990-May 1990.

VÁRKONYI, Péter (1931-): officer of the Hungarian Embassy in Washington D.C., London and Cairo, 1951-1958; head of the Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1958-1961; President of the Office of Information, 1969-80; chief editor of the Népszabadság, the daily newspaper of the HSWP, 1980-1982; secretary of the HSWP CC for foreign affairs, June 1982 -July 1983; minister of foreign affairs, July 1983- May 1989.

VAS, Zoltán (1903-1983): candidate member of the HWP PC, 1948-1953; president of the State Planning Office, 1948-1953; head of the Council of Ministers’ secretariat, 1954-January 1955;deputy minister of trade, 1955; government commissioner of public supply, October 1956; took refuge with Imre Nagy in the Yugoslav Embassy on November 4, 1956; subsequently deported to Romania; allowed to return in Hungary in 1958.