László Rajk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
László Rajk
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| Minister of the Interior of Hungary | |
| In office 20 March 1946 – 5 August 1948 |
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| Prime Minister | Ferenc Nagy Lajos Dinnyés |
| Preceded by | Imre Nagy |
| Succeeded by | János Kádár |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary | |
| In office 5 August 1948 – 11 June 1949 |
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| Prime Minister | Lajos Dinnyés István Dobi |
| Preceded by | Erik Molnár |
| Succeeded by | Gyula Kállai |
| Member of the High National Council | |
| In office 7 December 1945 – 1 February 1946 |
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| Preceded by | Béla Miklós Béla Zsedényi Mátyás Rákosi |
| Succeeded by | Zoltán Tildy (as President of the Republic) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 March 1909 Székelyudvarhely, Udvarhely County, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary (now Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania) |
| Died | 15 October 1949 (aged 40) Budapest, People's Republic of Hungary |
| Political party | KMP, MKP, MDP |
| Spouse | Júlia Földi |
| Children | László |
| Profession | politician |
László Rajk (born March 8, 1909 – died October 15, 1949) was an important Hungarian politician. He was a member of the Communist Party. He held important jobs like Minister of Interior and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Rajk helped the Communists gain power in Hungary. Sadly, he later became a victim of unfair trials set up by another powerful leader, Mátyás Rákosi.
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Early Life and Political Beginnings
László Rajk was born in a town called Székelyudvarhely. He was one of eleven children in his family. From a young age, he became interested in Communism. He joined the Communist Party of Hungary (KMP).
He was later asked to leave his university because of his political ideas. After that, he worked as a builder. In 1936, he went to Spain to join the Popular Front during the Spanish Civil War. He became a leader in a group called the Rakosi Battalion.
Return to Hungary and Key Roles
After the war in Spain ended, Rajk was held in France until 1941. Then, he finally returned to Hungary. There, he became a leader in the secret Communist Party. In December 1944, he was arrested by a group called the Arrow Cross Party. This group was against the Communists.
Rajk was supposed to be executed. He was taken to prison and then to Germany. But his older brother, Endre, helped save his life. László Rajk was set free on May 13, 1945.
Back in Hungary, he became very active in politics. He joined important leadership groups of the Communist Party. From December 1945 to February 1946, he was part of the High National Council. This was a temporary governing body.
Minister of Interior and Secret Police
On March 20, 1946, László Rajk became the Minister of the Interior. This was a very powerful position. In this role, he helped create a secret police force for the Hungarian Communist Party. This group was called the ÁVH. It was similar to other secret police forces in Communist countries.
Rajk was in charge of the ÁVH. Under his leadership, the ÁVH banned and closed down many religious and nationalist groups. They also started the first "show trials." These were unfair trials where people were forced to confess to crimes they didn't commit.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Arrest
From August 1948 to May 1949, Rajk became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, another powerful leader named Mátyás Rákosi saw Rajk as a threat. Rákosi decided to get rid of Rajk.
On May 30, 1949, Rajk was arrested based on false accusations. Even though he was popular among Communists, he was suddenly called a "spy" for other countries.
The Unfair Trial
László Rajk was accused of being a spy for Western countries. He was also accused of planning to bring back capitalism and harm Hungary's independence. While in prison, Rajk was tortured. He was told he would be set free if he admitted to the false charges.
The trial took place in Budapest in September 1949. Rajk confessed to all the charges. But after his confession, the judges decided to give him and the other seven men on trial the harshest punishments. Rajk was meant to be an example for others. He was sentenced to death along with two other men. László Rajk was executed on October 15, 1949.
After the Trial and Reburial
The trial of László Rajk was a big event. It led to many other unfair trials and arrests in Hungary. These events also caused problems for the country's economy. Many smart people were forced to do manual labor, which hurt the country's progress.
Over time, people became unhappy with Rákosi's rule. On March 28, 1956, after many protests, Rajk was officially cleared of the false charges. This was called his "rehabilitation." Even though he had been responsible for some harsh actions of the secret police, his unfair trial was now admitted.
This admission weakened Rákosi's power. On October 6, 1956, László Rajk was reburied. About 100,000 people came to his funeral. This large gathering showed how much people wanted change. It happened just before the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 began later that month. Rajk's wife, Júlia Rajk, worked hard to clear her husband's name, which helped bring so many people to his funeral.
People Involved in the Rajk Trial
Here are some of the people who were on trial with László Rajk:
- László Rajk (executed) - Minister of Foreign Affairs
- György Pálffy (executed) - Lieutenant General
- Lazar Brankov (life imprisonment) - Yugoslav Legation Counsellor
- Dr Tibor Szönyi (executed) - Member of the National Assembly
- András Szalai (executed) - government official
- Milan Ognjenovich (9 years in prison) - government official
- Béla Korondy (executed) - Police Colonel
- Pál Justus (life imprisonment) - member of the National Assembly
In total, 15 people were executed and 78 others were sent to prison because of the Rajk case.
In Popular Culture
The story of László Rajk's life, his trial, execution, and reburial is shown in a play. The play is called Shadow of Heroes by Robert Ardrey. It covers events from around 1945 up to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
See also
In Spanish: László Rajk para niños
- László Rajk Jr., his son; an architect and political activist
- Milada Horáková
- Rudolf Slánský
- Traicho Kostov
- Slánský trial
