The failure of the central states during the First World War had irreversible consequences for

the history of Europe. Even during the war, the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian

Empire began, during which the independence of the nations inhabiting that empire came to

an end. The situation in Hungary in October 1918 favoured revolutionary moods. The

government was weak, the army and the administration collapsed. There followed further

changes in the government and the disintegration of the Habsburg monarchy. The society,

tired of the war, demanded reforms and putting an end to the fighting. On 16 November 1918,

the Republic of Hungary was established, breaking away from Austria. The following day,

Béla Kun, a social democratic party activist before the war, returned to the country from

Russian captivity. He started to unite the small groups of the extreme left and quickly formed

the Hungarian Communist Party. On 21 March 1919, the Hungarian Soviet Republic (HSR)

was established, where power was quickly taken over by the communists who eliminated the

social democrats. Initially, the governments of the HSR enjoyed strong public support which

was soon lost, following the Bolshevik models. Repression, nationalisation of the economy,

misguided agricultural reform, the attack on the Church, chaos in education, confiscation of

wealth and intimidation of society all quickly discouraged Hungarians from supporting the

Communists.

The Entente states, afraid of spreading the virus of communism to neighbouring countries

weakened by the war, decided to act. Part of Hungary was occupied, and Czechoslovak and

Romanian troops were allowed to enter the fighting which ended in the defeat of the

Magyars. In the end, the Republic of Hungary of the Councils collapsed on 1 August 1919

and the short communist rule cost the lives of some 590 people. The power in Hungary was

soon taken over by Admiral Miklós Horthy, who held it until 1944. Immediately after the

defeat of the communists, a period of "white terror" began, i.e. the blurring of traces of their

short reigns.