The Ministry of Defence of Hungary is a member of the Hungarian cabinet and the head of the Ministry of Defence. The defence minister appointed the Chief of Army Staff to the head of the Hungarian military (Magyar Honvédség). The current minister is Csaba Hende

Csaba Hende

Csaba Hende is a Hungarian politician, current Minister of Defence from 29 May 2010.In 1983 he graduated in law at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, then practiced as a lawyer in his hometown of Szombathely. Since 1988, he belonged to the Hungarian Democratic Forum...

.

This position was called Minister of War during two short period of the Hungarian history: at the time of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848

Hungarian Revolution of 1848

The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...

 and during a very short chaotic term (less than two years), when three political transformations took place.

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

Ministers of War, 1848-1849

Hungarian Revolution of 1848

Hungarian Revolution of 1848

The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...

Minister	Began	Ended
Lajos Batthyány Lajos Batthyány Count Lajos Batthyány de Németújvár was the first Prime Minister of Hungary. He was born in Pressburg on 10 February 1807, and was executed by firing squad in Pest on 6 October 1849, the same day as the 13 Martyrs of Arad.-Career:His father was Count József Sándor Batthyány , his mother Borbála...	7 April 1848	23 May 1848
Lázár Mészáros Lázár Mészáros General Lázár Mészáros , was the Minister of War during the 1848 Hungarian Revolution....	23 May 1848	6 May 1849
Artúr Görgey Artúr Görgey ----Artúr Görgey de Görgő et Toporcz was a Hungarian military leader.He was born at Toporz in Upper Hungary of a Hungarian noble family of originally Zipser German descent who immigrated to Upper Hungary during the reign of king Géza II . During the reformation they were converted to Protestantism...	6 May 1849	5 July 1849
Lajos Aulich Lajos Aulich Lajos Aulich was the third Minister of War of Hungary.A professional soldier and lieutenant colonel in the Austrian army, he fought against Habsburg oppression....	14 July 1849	11 August 1849

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...

From 1867 to 1918 there was a Honvédministerium responsible for the military of the Hungarian half of Austria-Hungary and a Ministry of Defence

Austrian Minister of Defence (Austria-Hungary)

The Austrian Minister of Defence was head of the ' or '. It was set up in 1868 with responsibility for the armed forces and militia in the Cisleithanian half of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, effectively what is now Austria...

 for the military of the Austrian half, along with a Ministry of War

Minister of War (Austria-Hungary)

The Imperial and Royal Minister of War , until the year 1911 Minister of War of the Empire , was the head of one of the three common ministries shared by the two states which made up the Dual Monarchy from its creation in 1867 until the empire's collapse in 1918, Imperial Austria and Royal Hungary...

 with responsibility for Austria-Hungary as a whole.

Minister	Began	Ended
Gyula Andrássy Gyula Andrássy Gyula Count Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka was a Hungarian statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary and subsequently as Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary...	17 February 1867	14 November 1871
Menyhért Lónyay	14 November 1871	4 December 1872
József Szlávy József Szlávy József Szlávy de Érkenéz et Okány was a Hungarian politician who served as prime minister from 1872 to 1874, as Speaker of the House of Representatives of Hungary from 3 April 1879 to 12 April 1880 and as Speaker of the House of Magnats from 19 September 1894 to 3 October...	4 December 1872	15 December 1872
Béla Szende Béla Szende Béla Szende de Keresztes was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Defence from 15 December 1872 until his death.As a soldier he took part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848...	15 December 1872	18 August 1882
Gedeon Ráday Gedeon Ráday (Minister of Defence) Count Gedeon Ráday de Ráda was a Hungarian soldier and politician, who served as Minister of Defence from 1882 until his death. As a soldier he took part in the Second Italian War of Independence and the Austro-Prussian War. He also fought in the Battle of Königgrätz. Between 1862 and 1865 he was...	19 August 1882	26 December 1883
Béla Orczy Béla Orczy Baron Béla Orczy de Orczi was a Hungarian politician and freedom fighter, who served as Interior Minister between 1887 and 1889. He was also Minister of Home Defence for several months in 1884. He took part in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, he fought against the rebelling Serbs in the area of...	2 January 1884	28 October 1884
Géza Fejérváry Géza Fejérváry ----Géza Baron Fejérváry de Komlós-Keresztes was a Hungarian general who served as the prime minister in a government of bureaucrats appointed by King Franz Joseph during the Hungarian Constitutional Crisis of 1903–1907....	28 October 1884	27 June 1903
Dezső Kolossváry Dezső Kolossváry Dezső Kolossváry was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence in 1903.-References:*...	27 June 1903	3 November 1903
Sándor Nyiri Sándor Nyiri Sándor Nyiri was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence of Hungary between 1903 and 1905. From 1899 he was the commander of the Ludoviceum. In 1905 he won a mandate to the House of Representatives as a politician of the Liberal Party...	3 November 1903	18 June 1905
Ferenc Bihar Ferenc Bihar Ferenc Bihar was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1905 and 1906, during the Hungarian Constitutional Crisis of 1905. After the fall of the cabinet of Géza Fejérváry he retired.-References:*...	18 June 1905	8 April 1906
Sándor Wekerle Sándor Wekerle Sándor Wekerle was a Hungarian politician who served three times as prime minister.He was born in Mór, in the comitatus of Fejér. His mother was Antónia Szép.After studying law at the University of Budapest he graduated doctor juris...	8 April 1906	14 April 1906
Lajos Jekelfalussy Lajos Jekelfalussy Lajos Jekelfalussy was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1906 and 1910. His grandfather was József Jekelfalussy royal chamberlain.-References:*...	14 April 1906	16 January 1910
Samu Hazai Samu Hazai Baron Samu Hazai was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1910 and 1917.-Early career:...	17 January 1910	19 February 1917
Sándor Szurmay Sándor Szurmay Vitéz Baron Sándor Szurmay de Uzsok was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence for the Hungarian portion of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary between 1917 and 1918....	19 February 1917	31 October 1918

Hungarian Democratic Republic

Hungarian Democratic Republic

The Hungarian People's Republic was an independent republic proclaimed after the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918...

 (1918-1919)

Minister	Began	Ended
Béla Linder Béla Linder Béla Linder , Hungarian colonel of artillery, Secretary of War of Mihály Károlyi government, minister without portfolio of Dénes Berinkey government, military attaché of Hungarian Soviet Republic based in Vienna, finally the mayor of Pécs during the period of Serb occupation.-Secretary of War for...	31 October 1918	9 November 1918
Albert Bartha Albert Bartha Albert Bartha de Nagyborosnyó was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence twice: in 1918 and, almost thirty years later, between 1946 and 1947.-Works:...	9 November 1918	12 December 1918
Sándor Festetics	29 December 1918	18 January 1919
Vilmos Böhm	18 January 1919	21 March 1919

Hungarian Soviet Republic

Hungarian Soviet Republic

The Hungarian Soviet Republic or Soviet Republic of Hungary was a short-lived Communist state established in Hungary in the aftermath of World War I....

Minister	Began	Ended
József Haubrich József Haubrich József Haubrich was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Defence twice in 1919. He was one of the leaders of the MSZDP. During the Hungarian Soviet Republic he was a member of the communist cabinet, military commander of Budapest. After the fall of the communists he was sentenced to...	21 March 1919	24 June 1919
Vilmos Böhm	24 June 1919	31 July 1919
József Haubrich József Haubrich József Haubrich was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Defence twice in 1919. He was one of the leaders of the MSZDP. During the Hungarian Soviet Republic he was a member of the communist cabinet, military commander of Budapest. After the fall of the communists he was sentenced to...	1 August 1919	6 August 1919

Counter-revolutionary Government

Minister	Began	Ended
Zoltán Szabó Zoltán Szabó (Minister of Defence) Zoltán Szabó de Kisjolsva was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Defence in the revolutionary government against the Hungarian Soviet Republic. During this time the actual Minister of Defence was József Haubrich.-References:...	5 May 1919	31 May 1919
Miklós Horthy Miklós Horthy Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar years and throughout most of World War II, serving from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944. Horthy was styled "His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary" .Admiral Horthy was an officer of the...	31 May 1919	12 July 1919
Ferenc Schnetzer Ferenc Schnetzer Ferenc Schnetzer was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence in 1919, during the Romanian occupation of Hungary. He took part in the Friedrich's coup against cabinet of Gyula Peidl....	15 August 1919	24 September 1919
István Friedrich István Friedrich István Friedrich was a Hungarian politician and factory owner who served as prime minister of Hungary for three months in 1919....	24 November 1919	15 March 1920

Regency

Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)

The Kingdom of Hungary also known as the Regency, existed from 1920 to 1946 and was a de facto country under Regent Miklós Horthy. Horthy officially represented the abdicated Hungarian monarchy of Charles IV, Apostolic King of Hungary...

Minister	Began	Ended
Károly Soós Károly Soós (Minister of Defence) Vitéz Károly Soós de Bádok was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence in 1920. He participated in the working of revolutionary counter-government organizations on Szeged against the Hungarian Soviet Republic. Soós became the first Chief of Army Staff of the...	15 March 1920	19 July 1920
István Sréter István Sréter István Sréter de Szanda was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence in second half of 1920.-References:*...	19 July 1920	16 December 1920
Sándor Belitska Sándor Belitska Sándor Belitska was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1920 and 1923. During the World War I he fought on the Eastern Front...	16 December 1920	28 June 1923
Károly Csáky Károly Csáky Count Károly Csáky de Körösszeg et Adorján was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1923 and 1929. During the World War I he fought on the Eastern Front, where he seriously injured. After the establishment of the Hungarian Soviet Republic he...	28 June 1923	10 October 1929
Gyula Gömbös Gyula Gömbös Gyula Gömbös de Jákfa was the conservative prime minister of Hungary from 1932 to 1936.-Background:Gömbös was born in the Tolna County village of Murga, Hungary, which had a mixed Hungarian and ethnic German population. His father was the village schoolmaster. The family belonged to the ...	10 November 1929	2 September 1936
Miklós Kozma Miklós Kozma Vitéz Miklós Kozma de Leveld was a Hungarian politician, who served as Interior Minister between 1935 and 1937. He was also Minister of Defence for a short time in the cabinet of Gyula Gömbös. He attended the Ludovika Academy and fought in World War I. He was the supporter of Miklós Horthy from...	14 May 1936	7 August 1936
József Somkuthy József Somkuthy József Somkuthy was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence for a month in 1936. From 1935 he was the Chief of Army Staff. After the death of Gyula Gömbös he resigned along with the whole members of the cabinet. He was retired. His remaining fate is...	2 September 1936	6 October 1936
Vilmos Rőder Vilmos Rőder Vilmos Rőder was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1936 and 1938. He fought in the First World War as Chief of Army Staff of Army Corps...	12 October 1936	14 May 1938
Jenő Rátz Jenő Rátz Vitéz Jenő Rátz de Nagylak was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence in 1938. He fought in the First World War. During the Hungarian Soviet Republic he served in the National Army. From 1 October 1936 he became Chief of Army Staff of the Magyar Honvédség....	14 May 1938	15 November 1938
Károly Bartha Károly Bartha (Minister of Defence) Vitéz Károly Bartha de Dálnokfalva was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1938 and 1942. During World War I he had several high commander offices in Budapest and Trieste. In 1919 he fought against the armies of Czechoslovakia and Romania...	15 November 1938	24 September 1942
Vilmos Nagy	24 September 1942	12 June 1943
Lajos Csatay Lajos Csatay Vitéz Lajos Csatay de Csataj was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1943 and 1944. He fought in the First World War then he joined to the Hungarian Red Army to fight against the rebel nationalities...	12 June 1943	16 October 1944
Károly Beregfy Károly Beregfy Károly Beregfy was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1944–45....	16 October 1944	27 March 1945
János Vörös János Vörös János Vörös was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence in the unofficial Interim National Government which led by Béla Miklós. He fought in the First World War at the Eastern Front and the Italian Campaign. He was appointed as Chief of Army Staff on 19 March...	22 December 1944	15 November 1945
Jenő Tombor Jenő Tombor Jenő Tombor was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence from 1945 until his death. During the Hungarian Soviet Republic he planned a successful campaign against the rebel Czechoslovaks with Aurél Stromfeld.-References:*...	15 November 1945	4 February 1946

Second Hungarian Republic

Second Hungarian Republic

The Second Hungarian Republic was a parliamentary republic briefly established after the dissolution of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1 February 1946.-History:The Soviet Red Army occupied Hungary from September 1944 until April 1945...

Minister	Began	Ended
Jenő Tombor	4 February 1946	25 July 1946
Ferenc Nagy Ferenc Nagy Ferenc Nagy was a Hungarian politician of the Smallholders Party. He was a Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary from 29 November 1945 to 5 February 1946 and a member of the High National Council from 7 December 1945 to 2 February 1946.Later he served as Prime Minister of Hungary from 4...	9 August 1946	21 August 1946
Albert Bartha Albert Bartha Albert Bartha de Nagyborosnyó was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence twice: in 1918 and, almost thirty years later, between 1946 and 1947.-Works:...	21 August 1946	14 March 1947
Lajos Dinnyés Lajos Dinnyés Lajos Dinnyés was a Hungarian politician of the Smallholders Party who served as the last pre-communist Prime Minister of Hungary from 1947 to 1948.-Biography:...	14 March 1947	24 September 1947
Péter Veres Péter Veres Péter Veres was a Hungarian politician and writer, who served as Minister of Defence from 1947 to 1948.-References:*...	24 September 1947	9 September 1948

People's Republic of Hungary

People's Republic of Hungary

The People's Republic of Hungary or Hungarian People's Republic was the official state name of Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the guidance of the Soviet Union. The state remained in existence until 1989 when opposition forces consolidated in forcing the regime to...

Minister	Began	Ended
Mihály Farkas Mihály Farkas Mihály Farkas was a Hungarian Communist politician.From the 1930s he had been a Communist. He lived in Košice and Prague then. He fought in the Spanish Civil War; later he moved to the Soviet Union...	9 September 1948	2 July 1953
István Bata István Bata István Bata was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1953 and 1956. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 he divided Budapest into three military districts and gave an order to defeat the revolution. On 26 October Bata was relieved of all of his...	4 July 1953	26 October 1956
Károly Janza Károly Janza Károly Janza was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. He tried to get the insurgents to the capitulation but he didn't reach any result....	26 October 1956	2 November 1956
Pál Maléter Pál Maléter Pál Maléter was born to Hungarian parents in Eperjes, a city in the northern part of Historical Hungary, today part of Slovakia. He was the military leader of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution....	2 November 1956	4 November 1956
Ferenc Münnich Ferenc Münnich Ferenc Münnich was a Hungarian Communist politician who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Hungary from 1958 to 1961....	12 November 1956	1 March 1957
Géza Révész Géza Révész Géza Révész was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1957 and 1960. During the Hungarian Soviet Republic and the Second World War he fought in the Red Army. From 1960 to 1963 he was the Hungarian ambassador to the Soviet Union.-References:*...	1 March 1957	17 May 1960
Lajos Czinege Lajos Czinege Lajos Czinege was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence from 1960 to 1984.-References:*...	17 May 1960	6 December 1984
István Oláh István Oláh István Oláh was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence from 1984 until his death.-References:*...	6 December 1984	15 December 1985
Ferenc Kárpáti Ferenc Kárpáti Ferenc Kárpáti is a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1985 and 1990.-References:*...	30 December 1985	23 May 1990

Third Hungarian Republic

Third Hungarian Republic

The third Republic of Hungary is an informal term used for the current republic of Hungary, which was proclaimed on October 23, 1989 , ending Hungary's communist era and replacing the former People's Republic of Hungary.The first republic was proclaimed on November 16, 1918 when the...

Minister	Began	Ended
Lajos Für Lajos Für Lajos Für is a Hungarian politician and historian, who served as Minister of Defence between 1990 and 1994...	23 May 1990	15 July 1994
György Keleti György Keleti György Keleti is a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1994 and 1998.-References:*...	15 July 1994	8 July 1998
János Szabó János Szabó (politician) János Szabó is a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Defence between 1998 and 2002.-References:...	8 July 1998	27 May 2002
Ferenc Juhász	27 May 2002	9 June 2006
Imre Szekeres Imre Szekeres Imre Szekeres is a Hungarian politician of the Hungarian Socialist Party and former Minister of Defense.-Biography:Szekeres was born in Szolnok. He is married to a chemical engineer; they have two children....	9 June 2006	29 May 2010
Csaba Hende Csaba Hende Csaba Hende is a Hungarian politician, current Minister of Defence from 29 May 2010.In 1983 he graduated in law at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, then practiced as a lawyer in his hometown of Szombathely. Since 1988, he belonged to the Hungarian Democratic Forum...	29 May 2010	Incumbent

See also

• List of heads of state of Hungary
• List of Prime Ministers of Hungary
• List of Interior Ministers of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Finance of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Education of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Justice of Hungary
• List of Ministers of Agriculture of Hungary
• Politics of Hungary
  Politics of Hungary
  Politics of Hungary takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic. The Prime Minister is the head of government of a pluriform multi-party system, while the President is the head of state and holds a largely ceremonial position.Executive power is exercised by the...