9251
August 20th, 1943
Brasov Airfield, Romania - The sun is just peeking over the horizon when First Lieutenant István Horthy heads for his aircraft. The officer, whose reputation as a bon vivant precedes him, has eyes reddened by lack of sleep or perhaps, as some will say, by pálinka, the fruit brandy typical of his country. However, there is no one to comment on the Hungarian national holiday.
This is because István Horthy is not just a fighter pilot. He is the eldest son of the regent of Hungary Admiral Miklós Horthy, and he is also the vice-regent of the Magyar kingdom!
For some time now, Hungary had been concerned about the durability of its baroque political system, as the Regent was getting older and in the event of a conflict. As early as 1937, when Admiral Horthy was only 69 years old and Hungary was peaceful and relatively prosperous, Law XIX passed by Parliament required the regent to choose three candidates for his succession, and then to deposit their names in a sealed envelope with the two guardians of the crown - it was up to Parliament to decide if necessary, without necessarily taking the preference expressed by Horthy. The names submitted were well known: Bethlem, Károlyi... and Horthy (István). The first two were only there for form's sake - these politicians had never been interested in the regency and had made that clear.
But as the sound of cannon fire approached the Danube, the government decided to simplify the process of a possible succession, to avoid a harmful interim. Thus, after a solemn vote in both chambers on February 10th and 14th, 1942, the office of vice-regent was finally created and the son of Admiral Horthy was invested in this position on February 19th, 1942 by Count Bertalan Széchenyi, president of the Upper House. This step was obviously a response to the desire to perpetuate the regime at a time when the conflict was threatening Budapest, when the admiral was reaching a respectable age and that the upheavals of the Hungarian political life made fear again a fascist coup d'état.
However, István's choice was not only the result of paternal favor or a dynastic aspiration. The man was affable, well-presented, showed no great personal ambition, and rarely spoke in public. His appointment made it possible to see political developments in the country - internally, he was a good choice. Externally, it was something else. István Horthy was known for his opposition to Hungary's entry into the war and his outspoken hostility to the Nazi regime. This did not sit well with the Reich government, which did not mince its words, in private, about the new vice-regent, amplifying the rumors spread by the fascist Arrow Cross movement. Thus, the Reich ambassador to Hungary, Dietrich von Jagow, stated in his reports to Berlin that István was "completely rotten, an immoral womanizer, degenerate and alcoholic."
In his diary, Goebbels described him as "an avowed servant of the Jews, Anglophile to the core."
The Reich did not deign to react to the nomination, nor was it represented at the investiture, although Admiral Horthy did not take offence at this. Italy, a nation with a reputation for friendship, sent two representatives: the plenipotentiary minister Filippo Afuso and the minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Ciano. If the first chose to describe diplomatically a "moderato" enthusiasm of the Hungarian Parliament, the second did not open his mouth for the whole ceremony. Ciano wrote coldly in his diary: "The man is not up to the task: he is a modest and courteous gentleman, but nothing more. In Berlin there is the greatest coldness: I am told that no congratulations will be sent."
It is eighteen months later. Admiral Horthy is now 75 years old and Hungary is at war, facing irresistible forces that could well engulf her and then return her to the dark days of Béla Kun's Republic of Councils. The Vice-Regent is all the more important in the fragile mechanics of the Hungarian state - so this is his last day at the front. István returns to Budapest today, on the direct orders of his father, the Regent. The latter is obviously proud of his son's patriotism, who was willing to fight, at 39 years old! But this is not a reason to expose him more than reason to death or capture by the Reds.
The plane, a Mávag Héja II fighter (derived from the Italian Reggiane 2000), lines up on the runway under the rising sun. It takes off safely to the east, then turns south at low altitude, followed closely by his wingman. Suddenly, he seems to hesitate, goes into a slide and crashes to the ground. The firefighters and base personnel, who had to rush to the scene, can only extract the remains of first lieutenant Horthy. The Vice Regent is dead.
Royal Hungarian Air Force MAVAG Heja II, August 1943
Brasov Airfield, Romania - The sun is just peeking over the horizon when First Lieutenant István Horthy heads for his aircraft. The officer, whose reputation as a bon vivant precedes him, has eyes reddened by lack of sleep or perhaps, as some will say, by pálinka, the fruit brandy typical of his country. However, there is no one to comment on the Hungarian national holiday.
This is because István Horthy is not just a fighter pilot. He is the eldest son of the regent of Hungary Admiral Miklós Horthy, and he is also the vice-regent of the Magyar kingdom!
For some time now, Hungary had been concerned about the durability of its baroque political system, as the Regent was getting older and in the event of a conflict. As early as 1937, when Admiral Horthy was only 69 years old and Hungary was peaceful and relatively prosperous, Law XIX passed by Parliament required the regent to choose three candidates for his succession, and then to deposit their names in a sealed envelope with the two guardians of the crown - it was up to Parliament to decide if necessary, without necessarily taking the preference expressed by Horthy. The names submitted were well known: Bethlem, Károlyi... and Horthy (István). The first two were only there for form's sake - these politicians had never been interested in the regency and had made that clear.
But as the sound of cannon fire approached the Danube, the government decided to simplify the process of a possible succession, to avoid a harmful interim. Thus, after a solemn vote in both chambers on February 10th and 14th, 1942, the office of vice-regent was finally created and the son of Admiral Horthy was invested in this position on February 19th, 1942 by Count Bertalan Széchenyi, president of the Upper House. This step was obviously a response to the desire to perpetuate the regime at a time when the conflict was threatening Budapest, when the admiral was reaching a respectable age and that the upheavals of the Hungarian political life made fear again a fascist coup d'état.
However, István's choice was not only the result of paternal favor or a dynastic aspiration. The man was affable, well-presented, showed no great personal ambition, and rarely spoke in public. His appointment made it possible to see political developments in the country - internally, he was a good choice. Externally, it was something else. István Horthy was known for his opposition to Hungary's entry into the war and his outspoken hostility to the Nazi regime. This did not sit well with the Reich government, which did not mince its words, in private, about the new vice-regent, amplifying the rumors spread by the fascist Arrow Cross movement. Thus, the Reich ambassador to Hungary, Dietrich von Jagow, stated in his reports to Berlin that István was "completely rotten, an immoral womanizer, degenerate and alcoholic."
In his diary, Goebbels described him as "an avowed servant of the Jews, Anglophile to the core."
The Reich did not deign to react to the nomination, nor was it represented at the investiture, although Admiral Horthy did not take offence at this. Italy, a nation with a reputation for friendship, sent two representatives: the plenipotentiary minister Filippo Afuso and the minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Ciano. If the first chose to describe diplomatically a "moderato" enthusiasm of the Hungarian Parliament, the second did not open his mouth for the whole ceremony. Ciano wrote coldly in his diary: "The man is not up to the task: he is a modest and courteous gentleman, but nothing more. In Berlin there is the greatest coldness: I am told that no congratulations will be sent."
It is eighteen months later. Admiral Horthy is now 75 years old and Hungary is at war, facing irresistible forces that could well engulf her and then return her to the dark days of Béla Kun's Republic of Councils. The Vice-Regent is all the more important in the fragile mechanics of the Hungarian state - so this is his last day at the front. István returns to Budapest today, on the direct orders of his father, the Regent. The latter is obviously proud of his son's patriotism, who was willing to fight, at 39 years old! But this is not a reason to expose him more than reason to death or capture by the Reds.
The plane, a Mávag Héja II fighter (derived from the Italian Reggiane 2000), lines up on the runway under the rising sun. It takes off safely to the east, then turns south at low altitude, followed closely by his wingman. Suddenly, he seems to hesitate, goes into a slide and crashes to the ground. The firefighters and base personnel, who had to rush to the scene, can only extract the remains of first lieutenant Horthy. The Vice Regent is dead.
Royal Hungarian Air Force MAVAG Heja II, August 1943