Miklós von Horthy

Miklós von Horthy was the youngest son of Miklós von Horthy, Sr., considered the most important figure in modern Hungarian history. The senior was an Austro-Hungarian hero of World War I, and ruled Hungary as regent from 1920-44. In 1944 when Nazi Germany launched Operation Panzerfaust and invaded Hungary, Miklós Jr. was kidnapped, and Miklós Sr. was ordered to appoint the Arrow Cross Party as the new government, threatening to kill his son if he did not comply. The senior complied but Miklós Jr. was sent to Dachau, which was liberated by the US 5th Army in May 1945.

Miklós von Horthy, Jr. took refuge in the Vatican after the Communists took over Hungary. He was visited by Italian IOC Member Giorgio Vaccaro, who boldly asked for his resignation from the IOC, to which he had been appointed in 1939, because he no longer lived in Hungary. When von Horthy Jr. refused, Vaccaro had him declared decommissioned and his “resignation” from the IOC is listed as occurring on 7 February 1948. Because of the travails of his life, it is not unusual that Von Horthy, Jr. never attended an IOC Session. Von Horthy, Jr. joined his father in exile in Portugal, where he lived out his life. Together they both worked with the Allies in the peace negotiations involving Hungary.