Government of National Unity (Hungary)

The Government of National Unity (Nemzeti Összefogás Kormánya) was a Nazi-aligned puppet government headed by Prime Minister Döme Sztójay, and later by Ferenc Szálasi, which ruled Hungary from March 19, 1944, to March 28, 1945, during the latter stages of World War II.

The establishment of the Government of National Unity followed the German occupation of Hungary (Operation Margarethe) in response to the perceived reluctance of the previous government, led by Miklós Kállay, to fully cooperate with Nazi Germany. Kállay was secretly negotiating with the Western Allies.

Initially, the government under Döme Sztójay largely maintained the facade of Hungarian sovereignty while fully implementing Nazi policies, including the mass deportation of Hungarian Jews to extermination camps. The Regent of Hungary, Miklós Horthy, remained nominally in power, but his authority was severely curtailed by the German presence.

In October 1944, Horthy attempted to unilaterally withdraw Hungary from the war. This led to Operation Panzerfaust, a German operation that removed Horthy from power and installed Ferenc Szálasi, the leader of the fascist Arrow Cross Party, as "National Leader" (Nemzetvezető) and Prime Minister.

The Szálasi regime was characterized by extreme brutality and terror. The Arrow Cross government intensified the persecution of Jews, Roma, and other perceived enemies of the state, and continued the war on the side of Nazi Germany. The regime was responsible for widespread atrocities and the destruction of infrastructure.

The Government of National Unity collapsed as Soviet forces advanced into Hungary. Szálasi and his government fled the country in late March 1945, effectively ending their rule. The period is considered a dark chapter in Hungarian history, marked by collaboration with Nazi Germany, the Holocaust in Hungary, and widespread violence and destruction.