Zoltán Meskó
Encyclopedia
Zoltán Meskó de Széplak (12 March 1883, Baja
- 10 June 1959, Nagybaracska
) was a leading Hungarian
Nazi
during the 1930s. He led his own Nazi movement during the early 1930s but faded from the political scene when Hungary became a member
of the Axis powers
.
origin and was first elected to parliament in 1931 as a representative of the Smallholders Party, an agrarian group. Following his election to parliament Meskó arrived at the Hungarian Parliament Building
wearing the uniform of the German
Sturmabteilung
, and as a consequence he soon joined Zoltán Böszörmény
's National Socialist Party of Work. Meskó would go on to announce in parliament that he was forming a 'Hungarian Hitlerite Movement', although Meskó's appearance in a homemade version of a foreign uniform attracted much hilarity in the parliamentary chamber.
by emphasising anti-Semitism
and by adopting both the brown shirted uniform of the SA that Meskó had wore to parliament and the swastika
. Meskó's personal admiration for Adolf Hitler
was significant and he even went as far as growing a toothbrush moustache
in an attempt to physically resemble the Nazi Party Führer
.
Meskó's movement also utilised the arrow cross
as its emblem, although it alternated this with a green swastika on a brown background and eventually abandoned the brown shirt in favour of a green alternative. As a result the group became known colloquially as the Greenshirts and they continued to operate within Meskó's earlier field of agrarian politics to an extent by seeking to build a support base amongst landless peasants. The group was largely unsuccessful however and the Greenshirts were unable to establish anything approaching the mass following that Meskó sought.
in 1934, alongside Sándor Festetics, who had his own Hungarian National Socialist People’s Party and Fidél Pálffy
, whose group already bore the Hungarian National Socialist Party name. Meskó however was expelled as part of a power struggle the following year as Pálffy made himself sole leader. Meskó was noted as the least radical of Hungary's competing Nazi leaders as throughout his period as a leader he maintained a loyalty to the regency of Miklós Horthy
where other Hungarian Nazis sought the Admiral's overthrowing.
Meskó initially attempted to reform the Greenshirts but he proved to be unsuccessful in these efforts. He was returned to parliament in the 1939 parliamentary election as an independent national socialist
, although his fervour for Hitler had begun to dampen. Increasingly disillusioned with Nazi Germany
, he played little role in the wartime politics of Hungary. Despite this he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1945, although he was released before his death.
Baja, Hungary
Baja is a city in , southern Hungary. It is the second largest city in the county, after the county seat at Kecskemét, and is home to around 37,000 people....
- 10 June 1959, Nagybaracska
Nagybaracska
Nagybaracska is a village and municipality in Bács-Kiskun county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 2473 people ....
) was a leading Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
during the 1930s. He led his own Nazi movement during the early 1930s but faded from the political scene when Hungary became a member
Hungary during World War II
Hungary during World War II was a member of the Axis powers. In the 1930s, the Kingdom of Hungary relied on increased trade with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany to pull itself out of the Great Depression. By 1938, Hungarian politics and foreign policy had become increasingly pro-Fascist Italian and...
of the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
.
Move to Nazism
Meskó came from a landowning family of SlovakSlovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
origin and was first elected to parliament in 1931 as a representative of the Smallholders Party, an agrarian group. Following his election to parliament Meskó arrived at the Hungarian Parliament Building
Hungarian Parliament Building
The Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube, in Budapest...
wearing the uniform of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
, and as a consequence he soon joined Zoltán Böszörmény
Zoltán Böszörmény
Zoltán Böszörmény was a leading exponent of Fascism in Hungary before the Second World War.The son of a bankrupt landowner, he initially worked a series of odd jobs, ranging from a labourer to a porter. He first flirted with politics in 1919 when he became involved in activity against Béla Kun,...
's National Socialist Party of Work. Meskó would go on to announce in parliament that he was forming a 'Hungarian Hitlerite Movement', although Meskó's appearance in a homemade version of a foreign uniform attracted much hilarity in the parliamentary chamber.
Greenshirts
In 1932 Meskó split from Böszörmény and joined the Hungarian National Socialist Agricultural Labourers and Workers Party, which sought to imitate the Nazi PartyNational Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
by emphasising anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
and by adopting both the brown shirted uniform of the SA that Meskó had wore to parliament and the swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
. Meskó's personal admiration for Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
was significant and he even went as far as growing a toothbrush moustache
Toothbrush moustache
The Toothbrush moustache is a moustache, shaved at the edges, except for three to five centimeters above the centre of the lip...
in an attempt to physically resemble the Nazi Party Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
.
Meskó's movement also utilised the arrow cross
Arrow Cross
A cross whose arms end in arrowheads is called a "cross barby" or "cross barbee" in the traditional terminology of heraldry. In Christian use, the ends of this cross resemble the barbs of fish hooks, or fish spears...
as its emblem, although it alternated this with a green swastika on a brown background and eventually abandoned the brown shirt in favour of a green alternative. As a result the group became known colloquially as the Greenshirts and they continued to operate within Meskó's earlier field of agrarian politics to an extent by seeking to build a support base amongst landless peasants. The group was largely unsuccessful however and the Greenshirts were unable to establish anything approaching the mass following that Meskó sought.
Later years
Meskó became one of the three leaders of the amalgamated Hungarian National Socialist PartyHungarian National Socialist Party
The Hungarian National Socialist Party was a political epithet adopted by a number of minor Nazi parties in Hungary before the Second World War.-Early National Socialist groups:The initial HNSP was organised in the 1920s, but did not gain any influence...
in 1934, alongside Sándor Festetics, who had his own Hungarian National Socialist People’s Party and Fidél Pálffy
Fidél Pálffy
Count Fidél Pálffy de Erdőd was a Hungarian nobleman who emerged as a leading supporter of Nazism in Hungary.-Early life:...
, whose group already bore the Hungarian National Socialist Party name. Meskó however was expelled as part of a power struggle the following year as Pálffy made himself sole leader. Meskó was noted as the least radical of Hungary's competing Nazi leaders as throughout his period as a leader he maintained a loyalty to the regency of 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...
where other Hungarian Nazis sought the Admiral's overthrowing.
Meskó initially attempted to reform the Greenshirts but he proved to be unsuccessful in these efforts. He was returned to parliament in the 1939 parliamentary election as an independent national socialist
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, although his fervour for Hitler had begun to dampen. Increasingly disillusioned with Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, he played little role in the wartime politics of Hungary. Despite this he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1945, although he was released before his death.