Commanding the National Guard during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Béla Király transitioned from a high-ranking military officer in the Hungarian People's Army to a political exile and academic. His life spanned major shifts in 20th-century history, moving from the collapse of the Axis powers to the repression of the Soviet era and Hungary's eventual political transition.
Early Military Career
Born in 1912 in Kaposvár, Király entered the Ludovica Military Academy in 1930. He graduated in the top five percent of his class, earning a commission as a second lieutenant by 1935. By December 1942, while attending the General Staff Academy, he attained the rank of captain. During World War II, he served on the Eastern Front, sustaining wounds on two separate occasions.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →The War and Humanitarian Efforts
In 1943, while stationed in the Don River valley, Király commanded 400 men assigned to a Jewish labor battalion. He defied standing military orders by ensuring these prisoners received adequate food, warm clothing, and medical care. This action eventually led Yad Vashem to name him one of the Righteous Among the Nations in 1993.
Postwar Imprisonment and 1956
After surrendering Kőszeg to the Red Army in 1945, Király was sent to Siberia as a prisoner of war. Following his return, he rose to the rank of major general in the Hungarian People's Army. In 1951, the Mátyás Rákosi regime arrested him on charges of subversion and espionage, sentencing him to death. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment before he was paroled in September 1956. Upon his release, he emerged from the hospital to lead the National Guard during the Hungarian Revolution.
Academic Life in America
Following the Soviet suppression of the revolution, Király fled to the United States. He pursued higher education at Columbia University, earning a Master's degree in 1959 and a Ph.D. in 1966. He subsequently became a professor at Brooklyn College, authoring works on Hungarian history. He eventually returned to Hungary, serving as a member of the National Assembly from 1990 to 1994.
Fast facts
- Born: 1912, Kaposvár
- Died: 2009, Budapest
- Military Rank: Major General
- Education: Ludovica Military Academy, Columbia University
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (1993)
- Political Office: National Assembly of Hungary (1990-1994)
Questions readers ask
Was Béla Király involved in the 1956 uprising?
Yes, he served as the commander-in-chief of the military guard and the military commander of Budapest during the revolution.
Did he continue his military career in the United States?
No, after fleeing to the United States, he focused on his career as a historian and university teacher rather than holding military positions.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1993
- Worked as politician, writer and historian
- Educated at Columbia University and Ludovica Military Academy
