Communist leader who served as President of Hungary for 32 years: Who is Janos Kadar?

He served as the General Secretary of the Party until he had to retire in 1988 due to his advanced age and related health problems, and he handed over his position to younger reformist cadres.

Corpus separatum was born into a poor family in Fiume. His father left his mother before he was born and he never knew his father. After spending several years in the village, he came to Budapest with his mother. He left school and joined KIMSZ, the youth organization of the Hungarian Communist Party.

János József Kádár (26 May 1912 – 6 July 1989), born János József Czermanik, was a Hungarian Communist leader and the General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, a position he held for 32 years. Declining health led to his retirement in 1988, and he died in 1989 after being hospitalized for pneumonia.

He became one of the important figures of the party before World War II and rose to the position of General Secretary of the Party. He abolished the Communist Party, of which he was the leader, and reorganized it under the name of the Peace Party. However, the Peace Party could not achieve the expected success. He could not provide sufficient support from the public and the communists. Afterward, János Kádár would also be accused of dealing a blow to the communist movement by dissolving the party.

Interesting details from his life story

Janos Kadar was born on May 26, 1912, from the extramarital affair of a Slovak woman who worked as a maid in Fiume (Rijeka). His real name is Giovanni Czermanik. Born from an unplanned relationship, Janos spent his childhood in Kapoly, near his father, who was a poor man.

When Janos turned 19, he joined the Communist Young Workers' Association and quickly established himself. In 1931, he joined the banned Communist party and joined the administration. During this process, he used the nickname Kadar, which later became his surname, Kadar. He was arrested for his activities in 1937, and this detention period lasted approximately 2 years.

After World War II, Jonas served in the Politburo of the Communist Party and led the establishment of the party organization in Budapest. When the Hungarian Workers' Party (MDP) came to power (1948), Janos became a minister for the first time. Janos, who was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs due to his loyalty and determination, was sentenced to life imprisonment for espionage and treason in April 1951 when he intervened in the cases of Joszef Mindszenty and his friend Laszlo Rayk.

Janos, who was released in 1954 with the help of his political circle and whose reputation was restored, was accepted back into the Politburo. (1956)

There is no harm in saying that Janos took part in both sides of the Hungarian revolution. Janos, who was first a member of the Imre Nagy government, later formed an opposing government and called on the Red Army for help. The popular uprising was suppressed by the Red Army, but the price was heavy. Bloody conflicts took place and were written as a black mark in Hungarian history. Imre Nagy was executed in 1958. Communist Party leader Jonas (MDP) changed the name of the party to the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party.

Janos, who was head of both state and government after 1961, had a softer attitude in domestic politics. He continued in both positions until 1968. Compared to previous governments, he reduced censorship, made peace with the church, and pursued a policy of tolerance.

He remained strictly loyal to Moscow in foreign policy. However, he applied his methods in the field of economics. In 1968, an application called "New Economic Mechanism" was launched. According to this understanding, companies were given autonomy in the decisions they made. This practice also created the necessary conditions for the emergence of Goulash communism. Janos made this practice, which is between communism and a little liberalism, to confirm the effects of the market economy and preserve the characteristics of the social economy.

Janos was loved and respected by the people. The main reason for this respect and love was their humble and sincere attitude. In addition, Jonas was against all kinds of idolization and was determined to fulfill the requirements of the rule of law. This management approach brought about an increase in domestic politics. As the level of prosperity increased, the love of the people continued to increase in the same proportion.

Jonas gradually began to lose his power after the reforms of Soviet Communist Party leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Jonas, who achieved an incredible rise by combining communism and liberalism at a fine point, began to experience visible economic deterioration after the loss of his authority and power. In 1988, Jonas ended his 32-year career and left his place to those who came after him. Jonas was replaced by Karoly Grosz. After his resignation, rumors began to spread in the country about Jonas, whose duties in the party were taken away. Although allegations were made that he had done questionable things during the Hungarian Revolution, Jonas was not exposed to any accusations. Already humble, Jonas preferred to live out of sight after his resignation.

On the day he died in Budapest at the age of 77 (06.07.1989), the Supreme Court of Judges annulled the death penalty against Nagy. Lifting the death penalty for a person executed in 1958 would not bring that person back, but I guess this was a reaction.

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16 Fascinating Facts About János Kádár
https://facts.net/history/people/16-fascinating-facts-about-janos-kadar/