 | ||
| The red flag of the Hungarian Soviet Republic 1919 |
On this very day back on March 21, 1919, the Hungarian Soviet Republic (Tanácsköztársaság) was established. The motto of this dreadful regime was "Világ proletárjai, egyesüljetek!" or "Workers of the world, unite!". Bolsheviks and communists unleashed an unholy terror on Hungary that lasted 133 days. Gangs of thugs of the far left-wing called the "Lenin Boys" went on a murderous rampage in Hungary unopposed. This was definitely one of the worst episodes in Hungarian history.
Hungarians that were deemed as "enemies of the state" were beaten, arrested or murdered by the infamous Lenin Boys. Many innocent Hungarians were tortured to death by the Lenin Boy gangs. Many members of the Lenin Boys were ex-soldiers of the First World War and ethnic minorities living in Hungary.
The terror of the Hungarian Soviet Republic is often called the "Red Terror" and it set out to crush "counter-revolutionary" activities in the Hungarian countryside. It is estimated that 590 executions were carried out by the revolutionary councils set up by the communist regime. It is unknown how many others were tortured and executed on the spot by the communist thugs or how many were imprisoned by this regime. Luckily for the Hungarian people, the Hungarian Soviet Republic was crushed by external forces and ceased to exist on August 1, 1919.
We as Hungarians should make sure that such a brutal regime never exists in Hungary again. Unfortunately, there is a small minority on the Hungarian left today that still fosters an "admiration" for both the "hard" communism of Kun Bela and Matyas Rakosi as well as the "Goulash" communism of Janos Kadar.
István
