Operation Panzerfaust
After Romania withdrew from the Axis and accepted an armistice with the Soviet Union in August 1944, Horthy decided to secretly negotiate with the Soviets. On 15 October 1944, Horthy announced in a national radio broadcast that Hungary had signed an armistice with the Soviets. The Germans responded with Operation Panzerfaust. This included arresting both Horthy and his son Miklós. Horthy was forced to sign a statement that renounced the armistice and turned over control of the government to Ferenc Szálasi as "Magyar királyi miniszterelnök" (Royal Hungarian Prime Minister). Szálasi was the leader of the pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party. Horthy later explained his capitulation: "I neither resigned nor appointed Szálasi Premier, I merely exchanged my signature for my son’s life. A signature wrung from a man at machine-gun point can have little legality."