Minister of Defence (Hungary)

Minister of Defence of Hungary
Magyarország honvédelmi minisztere
Incumbent Tibor Benkő since 18 May 2018
Ministry of Defence
Type	Minister
Member of	Hungarian cabinet
Formation	7 April 1848
First holder	Lajos Batthyány

The Minister of Defence of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarország honvédelmi minisztere) is a member of the Hungarian cabinet and the head of the Ministry of Defence. The defence minister appoints the Chief of General Staff to the head of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The current minister is Tibor Benkő.

The position was called People's Commissar of War (Hungarian: hadügyi népbiztos) during the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919 and Minister of War (Hungarian: hadügyminiszter) during two short periods of Hungarian history: at the time of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and during a very short chaotic term (less than two years) after World War I, when three political transformations took place.

This page is a list of Ministers of Defence of Hungary.

Ministers of War (1848–1849)[]

Hungarian Kingdom (1848–1849)[]

Parties   Opposition Party   Peace Party   Military

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
—		Lajos Batthyány (1807–1849) acting	7 April 1848	23 May 1848	Opposition Party	Batthyány	Last Diet
1		Lázár Mészáros (1796–1858)	23 May 1848	2 October 1848	Military
(1)			2 October 1848	14 April 1849	Peace Party	Committee of National Defence

Hungarian State (1849)[]

Parties   Peace Party   Military

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
(1)		Lázár Mészáros (1796–1858) acting	14 April 1849	1 May 1849	Peace Party	Committee of National Defence
			1 May 1849	6 May 1849		Szemere
2		Artúr Görgei (1818–1916)	7 May 1849	7 July 1849	Military
3		Lajos Aulich (1793–1849)	14 July 1849	11 August 1849	Military

After the collapse of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Hungarian Kingdom became an integral part of the Austrian Empire until 1867, when dual Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was created.

Ministers of Defence (1867–1918)[]

From 1867 to 1918 there was a Honvédministerium responsible for the military of the Hungarian half of Austria-Hungary and a Ministry of Defence for the military of the Austrian half, along with a Ministry of War with responsibility for Austria-Hungary as a whole.

Hungarian Kingdom (1867–1918)[]

Parties   Deák Party/Liberal Party/National Party of Work   National Constitution Party   FÜG48–Károlyi   Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		Gyula Andrássy (1823–1890)	17 February 1867	14 November 1871	Deák Party	Andrássy DP	3 (1865)
							4 (1869)
2		Menyhért Lónyay (1822–1884)	14 November 1871	4 December 1872	Deák Party	Lónyay DP
							5 (1872)
3		József Szlávy (1818–1900) acting	4 December 1872	15 December 1872	Deák Party	Szlávy DP
4		Béla Szende (1823–1882)	15 December 1872	21 March 1874	Independent
			21 March 1874	2 March 1875		Bittó DP–BK
			2 March 1875	20 October 1875		Wenckheim SZP
			20 October 1875	18 August 1882 (died in office)		K. Tisza SZP	6 (1875)
							7 (1878)
							8 (1881)
5		Gedeon Ráday (1841–1883)	19 August 1882	26 December 1883 (died in office)	Liberal Party
—		Béla Orczy (1822–1917) acting	2 January 1884	28 October 1884	Liberal Party
							9 (1884)
6		Géza Fejérváry (1833–1914)	28 October 1884	13 March 1890	Independent
							10 (1887)
			13 March 1890	19 November 1892		Szapáry SZP
							11 (1892)
			19 November 1892	15 January 1895		Wekerle I SZP
			15 January 1895	26 February 1899		Bánffy SZP
							12 (1896)
			26 February 1899	27 June 1903		Széll SZP
							13 (1901)
7		Dezső Kolossváry (1854–1919)	27 June 1903	3 November 1903	Independent	Khuen-Héderváry I SZP
8		Sándor Nyiri (1854–1911)	3 November 1903	18 June 1905	Liberal Party	I. Tisza I SZP
9		Ferenc Bihar (1847–1920)	18 June 1905	6 March 1906	Independent	Fejérváry SZP	14 (1905)
10		Béla Pap (1845–1916)	6 March 1906	8 April 1906	Independent
—		Sándor Wekerle (1848–1921) acting	8 April 1906	14 April 1906	National Constitution Party	Wekerle II FÜG48–OAP–KNP–PDP
11		Lajos Jekelfalussy (1848–1911)	14 April 1906	17 January 1910	National Constitution Party
							15 (1906)
12		Samu Hazai (1851–1942)	17 January 1910	22 April 1912	National Party of Work	Khuen-Héderváry II NMP
							16 (1910)
			22 April 1912	10 June 1913		Lukács NMP
			10 June 1913	19 February 1917		I. Tisza II NMP
13		Sándor Szurmay (1860–1945)	19 February 1917	15 June 1917	Independent
			15 June 1917	23 August 1917		Esterházy NMP–FÜG48–OAP–PDP–KNP
			23 August 1917	31 October 1918		Wekerle III NMP–FÜG48–OAP–PDP–KNP

Ministers of War (1918–1919)[]

Hungarian Kingdom (1918)[]

Parties   Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		Béla Linder (1876–1962)	31 October 1918	9 November 1918	Independent	M. Károlyi FÜG48–K–PRP–MSZDP	MNT (—)
2		Albert Bartha (1877–1960)	9 November 1918	16 November 1918	Independent

Hungarian People's Republic (1918–1919)[]

Parties   FÜG48–Károlyi   MSZDP   Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		Albert Bartha (1877–1960)	16 November 1918	12 December 1918	Independent	M. Károlyi FÜG48–K–PRP–MSZDP	MNT (—)
—		Mihály Károlyi (1875–1955) acting (de jure)	12 December 1918	29 December 1918	FÜG48–Károlyi
—		Vilmos Böhm (1880–1949) acting (de facto)	12 December 1918	29 December 1918	MSZDP
2		Sándor Festetics (1882–1956)	29 December 1918	19 January 1919	Independent
3		Vilmos Böhm (1880–1949)	19 January 1919	21 March 1919	MSZDP	Berinkey FÜG48–K–PRP–MSZDP–OKGFP

People's Commissars of War (1919)[]

Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919)[]

Parties   MSZP/SZKMMP

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		József Pogány (1886–1938)	21 March 1919	3 April 1919	MSZP	Central Executive Council MSZP/SZKMMP	TOGY (—)
2		Béla Kun (1886–1939) serving with Vilmos Böhm, Rezső Fiedler, József Haubrich and Béla Szántó	3 April 1919	24 June 1919	MSZP/SZKMMP
2		Vilmos Böhm (1880–1949) serving with Béla Kun, Rezső Fiedler, József Haubrich and Béla Szántó	3 April 1919	24 June 1919	MSZP/SZKMMP
2		Rezső Fiedler (1884–1939) serving with Béla Kun, Vilmos Böhm, József Haubrich and Béla Szántó	3 April 1919	24 June 1919	MSZP/SZKMMP
2		József Haubrich (1883–1939) serving with Béla Kun, Vilmos Böhm, Rezső Fiedler and Béla Szántó	3 April 1919	24 June 1919	MSZP/SZKMMP
2		Béla Szántó (1881–1951) serving with Béla Kun, Vilmos Böhm, Rezső Fiedler and József Haubrich until 24 June 1919	3 April 1919	24 June 1919	MSZP/SZKMMP
3			24 June 1919	1 August 1919	SZKMMP

Counter-revolutionary governments (1919)[]

Parties   Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
—		Zoltán Szabó (1858–1934)	5 May 1919	31 May 1919	Independent	Arad	—
—		Miklós Horthy (1868–1957)	31 May 1919	6 June 1919	Independent	Szeged I
			6 June 1919	12 July 1919		Szeged II
—		Sándor Belitska (1872–1939)	12 July 1919	12 August 1919	Independent	Szeged III

Ministers of War (1919–1920)[]

Hungarian People's Republic (1919)[]

Parties   MSZDP

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		József Haubrich (1883–1939)	1 August 1919	6 August 1919 (deposed)	MSZDP	Peidl MSZDP	—

Hungarian Republic (1919–1920)[]

Parties   KNEP   Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		Ferenc Schnetzer (1867–1944)	15 August 1919	24 November 1919	Independent	Friedrich KNP/KNEP–OKGFP	—
2		István Friedrich (1883–1951)	24 November 1919	29 February 1920	KNEP	Huszár KNEP–OKGFP–MSZDP–NDPP

Ministers of Defence (1920–present)[]

Hungarian Kingdom (1920–1946)[]

Parties   KNEP   EP–NEP–MÉP   Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		István Friedrich (1883–1951)	29 February 1920	15 March 1920	KNEP	Huszár KNEP–OKGFP–MSZDP–NDPP	—
2		Károly Soós (1869–1953)	15 March 1920	19 July 1920	Independent	Simonyi-Semadam KNEP–OKGFP	17 (1920)
2		István Sréter (1867–1942)	19 July 1920	16 December 1920	Independent	Teleki I KNEP–OKGFP
3		Sándor Belitska (1872–1939)	16 December 1920	14 April 1921	Independent
			14 April 1921	28 June 1923		Bethlen (KNEP–OKGFP)→EP
							18 (1922)
4		Károly Csáky (1873–1945)	28 June 1923	10 October 1929	Independent
							19 (1926)
5		Gyula Gömbös (1886–1936)	10 November 1929	24 August 1931	EP
							20 (1931)
			24 August 1931	1 October 1932		G. Károlyi EP–KGSZP
			1 October 1932	2 September 1936	NEP	Gömbös NEP
							21 (1935)
—		Miklós Kozma (1884–1941) acting for Gyula Gömbös	14 May 1936	7 August 1936	NEP
6		József Somkuthy (1883–1961)	2 September 1936	6 October 1936	NEP
7		Vilmos Rőder (1881–1969)	12 October 1936	14 May 1938	NEP	Darányi NEP
8		Jenő Rátz (1882–1949)	14 May 1938	15 November 1938	NEP	Imrédy NEP
9		Károly Bartha (1884–1964)	15 November 1938	16 February 1939	Independent
			16 February 1939	3 April 1941		Teleki II MÉP
							22 (1939)
			3 April 1941	9 March 1942		Bárdossy MÉP
			9 March 1942	24 September 1942		Kállay MÉP
10		Vilmos Nagy (1884–1976)	24 September 1942	12 June 1943	Independent
11		Lajos Csatay (1886–1944)	12 June 1943	22 March 1944 (deposed)	Independent
			22 March 1944	29 August 1944		Sztójay MÉP–MMP
			29 August 1944	16 October 1944 (deposed)		Lakatos MÉP

Government of National Unity (1944–1945)[]

Parties   Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		Károly Beregfy (1888–1946)	16 October 1944	28 March 1945	Independent	Szálasi NYKP–MMP	—

Soviet-backed provisional governments (1944–1946)[]

Parties   Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		János Vörös (1891–1968)	22 December 1944	15 November 1945	Independent	Provisional National Government FKGP–MKP–MSZDP–NPP–PDP	INGY (1944)
2		Jenő Tombor (1880–1946)	15 November 1945	1 February 1946	Independent	Tildy FKGP–MKP–MSZDP–NPP	23 (1945)

Hungarian Republic (1946–1949)[]

Parties   FKGP   NPP   MKP-MDP

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		Jenő Tombor (1880–1946)	1 February 1946	4 February 1946	Independent	Tildy FKGP–MKP–MSZDP–NPP	23 (1945)
			4 February 1946	25 July 1946 (died in office)		F. Nagy FKGP–MKP–MSZDP–NPP
—		Ferenc Nagy (1903–1979) acting	9 August 1946	21 August 1946	FKGP
2		Albert Bartha (1877–1960)	21 August 1946	14 March 1947	Independent
—		Lajos Dinnyés (1901–1961) acting	14 March 1947	31 May 1947	FKGP
			31 May 1947	24 September 1947		Dinnyés MKP–FKGP–MSZDP–NPP
							24 (1947)
3		Péter Veres (1897–1970)	24 September 1947	9 September 1948	NPP
4		Mihály Farkas (1904–1965)	9 September 1948	10 December 1948	MDP	Dinnyés MDP–FKGP–NPP
			10 December 1948	20 August 1949		Dobi MDP–FKGP–NPP
							25 (1949)

Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989)[]

Parties   MDP-MSZMP   MSZP

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		Mihály Farkas (1904–1965)	20 August 1949	14 August 1952	MDP	Dobi MDP	25 (1949)
			14 August 1952	4 July 1953		Rákosi MDP
2		István Bata (1910–1982)	4 July 1953	18 April 1955	MDP	I. Nagy I MDP	26 (1953)
			18 April 1955	24 October 1956		Hegedüs MDP
			24 October 1956	26 October 1956		I. Nagy II MDP→MSZMP–FKGP
3		Károly Janza (1914–2001)	26 October 1956	3 November 1956	MDP→MSZMP
4		Pál Maléter (1917–1958)	3 November 1956	4 November 1956	MSZMP	I. Nagy III MSZMP–FKGP–MSZDP–PP
5		Ferenc Münnich (1886–1966)	12 November 1956	1 March 1957	MSZMP	Kádár I MSZMP
6		Géza Révész (1902–1977)	1 March 1957	28 January 1958	MSZMP
			28 January 1958	17 May 1960		Münnich MSZMP
							27 (1958)
7		Lajos Czinege (1924–1998)	17 May 1960	13 September 1961	MSZMP
			13 September 1961	30 June 1965		Kádár II MSZMP
							28 (1963)
			30 June 1965	14 April 1967		Kállai MSZMP
			14 April 1967	15 May 1975		Fock MSZMP	29 (1967)
							30 (1971)
			15 May 1975	6 December 1984		Lázár MSZMP
							31 (1975)
							32 (1980)
8		István Oláh (1926–1985)	6 December 1984	15 December 1985 (died in office)	MSZMP
							33 (1985)
9		Ferenc Kárpáti (1926–2013)	30 December 1985	25 June 1987	MSZMP
			25 June 1987	24 November 1988		Grósz MSZMP
			24 November 1988	7 October 1989		Németh (MSZMP)→MSZP
(9)			7 October 1989	23 October 1989	Independent

Hungarian Republic / Hungary (1989–present)[]

Parties   MSZP   Fidesz   MDF   KDNP   FKGP   Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
—		Ferenc Kárpáti (1926–2013) provisional	23 October 1989	23 May 1990	Independent	Németh MSZP	—
1		Lajos Für (1930–2013)	23 May 1990	21 December 1993	MDF	Antall MDF–FKGP–KDNP	34 (1990)
			21 December 1993	15 July 1994		Boross MDF–EKGP–KDNP
2		György Keleti (1946–2020)	15 July 1994	8 July 1998	MSZP	Horn MSZP–SZDSZ	35 (1994)
3		János Szabó (1941–)	8 July 1998	27 May 2002	FKGP	Orbán I Fidesz–FKGP–MDF	36 (1998)
4		Ferenc Juhász (1960–)	27 May 2002	29 September 2004	MSZP	Medgyessy MSZP–SZDSZ	37 (2002)
			29 September 2004	9 June 2006		Gyurcsány I MSZP–SZDSZ
5		Imre Szekeres (1950–)	9 June 2006	14 April 2009	MSZP	Gyurcsány II MSZP–SZDSZ	38 (2006)
			14 April 2009	29 May 2010		Bajnai MSZP
6		Csaba Hende (1960–)	29 May 2010	6 June 2014	Fidesz	Orbán II Fidesz–KDNP	39 (2010)
			6 June 2014	9 September 2015		Orbán III Fidesz–KDNP	40 (2014)
7		István Simicskó (1961–)	10 September 2015	18 May 2018	KDNP
8		Tibor Benkő (1955–)	18 May 2018	Incumbent	Independent	Orbán IV Fidesz–KDNP	41 (2018)

See also[]

• List of heads of state of Hungary
• List of prime ministers of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Agriculture of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Civilian Intelligence Services of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Croatian Affairs of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Education of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Finance of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Interior of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Justice of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Public Works and Transport of Hungary
• Politics of Hungary