# Géza Lakatos

Géza Lakatos de Csíkszentsimon (Hungarian title/name: "Vitéz lófő csíkszentsimoni Lakatos Géza"; in German: Geza Ritter Lakatos, Edler von Csikszentsimon) (30 April 1890 – 21 May 1967) was a colonel general in the Hungarian Army during World War II who served briefly as Prime Minister of Hungary, under regent Miklós Horthy from 29 August 1944, until 15 October 1944.

## Biography

Lakatos graduated at Ludovica Military Academy. He was a military attaché in Prague from 1928 to 1934. On 5 August 1943 he succeeded vitéz Gusztáv Jány as commander of the Second Army. On 1 April 1944 he was appointed commander of the 1st Hungarian Army, but this was only until 15 May 1944.
In August 1944 supporters of Lakatos and Horthy, armed with one tank, overthrew the German-installed government of Döme Sztójay. Lakatos's military government (also called shadow-army, since they operated in complete secrecy) stopped the deportation of Hungarian Jews, with acting Interior Minister Béla Horváth ordering Hungarian gendarmes to use deadly force against any deportation effort. Lakatos also reopened peace talks with the Allies that had previously been begun by Miklós Kállay. He even went as far as to begin talks with the Soviets. On 15 October 1944, Horthy tried to force the Germans out entirely and concluded an armistice with the Allies. However, when Horthy announced this in a nationwide radio address, the Germans kidnapped Horthy's son, Miklós Horthy, Jr., and Horthy surrendered to them. The far-right Arrow Cross Party, backed by the Germans, immediately staged a coup and took full control of the government. Lakatos was forced to resign that day, and was imprisoned by the Germans in Sopronkőhida. After that he was interned into Sopron.
Following the Soviet occupation of Hungary, Lakatos was interrogated several times in Kiskőrös. He was released from prison in January 1946 and thereafter appeared as a witness in war crime trials against the Arrow Cross Party and other pro-Nazi former officials before the so-called People's Tribunal of Budapest. In the forthcoming years he lived in his estate in Érd. His military pension was revoked by the Communist authorities and his lands were also confiscated in 1949. Following that he moved to Budapest where he worked as a book illustrator and silk painter, and lived in poor financial circumstances. His daughter emigrated to Australia in 1956, when the failed Hungarian Revolution briefly allowed people to emigrate from Hungary. Following his wife's death in 1965, the authorities permitted Lakatos to travel to Adelaide where his daughter lived since 1957. He died there two years later, in 1967.

## Awards and decorations

| 1st row | Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary Grand Cross on war ribbon with swords | Golden Military Merit Medal on war ribbon with swords | Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary Commander's Cross with Star | Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary Commander's Cross |
| 2nd row | Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary Bronze Cross | Order of the Iron Crown (Austria) 3rd Class with war decoration and swords | Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with war decoration and swords | Silver Military Merit Medal on war ribbon with swords |
| 3rd row | Bronze Military Merit Medal on war ribbon with swords | Hungarian Bronze Military Merit Medal on war ribbon with swords | Fire Cross 2nd class with wreath | Wound Medal (Austria-Hungary) |
| 4th row | National Defence Cross | Hungarian World War I Commemorative Medal | Long Service Crosses for Officers 1st class | Long Service Crosses for Officers 2nd class |
| 5th row | Long Service Crosses for Officers 3rd class | Transylvania Commemorative Medal | Marianer Cross | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| 6th row | Iron Cross 1st Class (1914) with 1939 clasp | Iron Cross 2nd Class (1914) with 1939 clasp | Bulgarian World War I Commemorative Medal | War Commemorative Medal (Austria) |
| Badge | Badge of the Order of Vitéz | Badge of the Order of Vitéz | Badge of the Order of Vitéz | Badge of the Order of Vitéz |