Ernő Gerő

Ernő Gerő (born Ernő Singer, 8 July 1898 – 12 March 1980) was a Hungarian Communist politician. He was a prominent figure in the Hungarian Communist movement from the interwar period through the 1950s, holding key positions in both the Hungarian Communist Party and the government.

Gerő was heavily involved in the Béla Kun regime of 1919. Following its collapse, he lived in exile in the Soviet Union, where he became a high-ranking official in the Comintern. He returned to Hungary after World War II, playing a central role in the establishment of the communist government.

He served as a key economic planner and held several ministerial posts, overseeing the rapid industrialization and collectivization of agriculture in Hungary during the Stalinist era. He was known for his staunch adherence to Soviet policies and his role in suppressing dissent.

Gerő briefly succeeded Mátyás Rákosi as the First Secretary of the Hungarian Working People's Party in July 1956. His hardline stance and continued loyalty to the Soviet Union contributed to the growing discontent that culminated in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. His speech on October 23, 1956, condemning the protesters, is widely considered to have been a catalyst for the escalation of the revolution.

Following the Soviet intervention in November 1956, Gerő was removed from power and fled to the Soviet Union. He was later allowed to return to Hungary in 1970 and lived in retirement until his death in 1980. He remains a controversial figure in Hungarian history, viewed by some as a staunch communist and by others as a key figure in the repressive Stalinist regime.