1949
1949
1 Jan. The first census in Hungary after the liberation. Population: 9,204,799.
1 Formation of the provisional national coun-cil of the Hungarian Independent Front from representatives of the Hungarian Workers’ Party, the National Peasant Party, the Smallholders’ Party and the radical party alliance. President: Mátyás Rákosi, vice presidents: István Dobi and Ferenc Erdei. The Petőfi radio transmitter starts broad-casts.
4 Feb. The political committee of the Democratic People’s Party disbands the party.
8 Feb. A special council of the people’s court sentences József Mindszenty, archbishop of Esztergom, to life imprisonment.
3 March Merger of the PDP and the MRP. Under the name Hungarian Radical Party it joins the Independent People’s Front.
18 Apr. Hungarian-Czechoslovak agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance signed in Budapest.
15 May At parliamentary elections 94.7% of
eligible voters went to the polls: of them, 95.6% voted for candidates of the People’s Front.
eligible voters went to the polls: of them, 95.6% voted for candidates of the People’s Front.
20. May István Dobi hands in the resignation of his government.
30 May-20 June Under trumped up charges László Rajk, Tibor Szőnyi, Pál Justus and 17 other communists are arrested.
2 June Mihály Károlyi resigns his post as minister in Paris.
11 June Formation of the new Dobi government. Deputy prime minister, minister of state: Mátyás Rákosi, minister of state: Ernő Gerő, Hungarian Workers’ Party. Ministers: foreign affairs: Gyula Kállai, Hungarian Workers’ Party, internal affairs: János Kádár, Hungarian Workers’ Party, defence: Mihály Farkas, Hungarian Workers’ Party, education: József Révai, Hungarian Workers’ Party, justice: István Ries, Hungarian Workers’ Party, finance: István Kossa, Hungarian Workers’ Party, communications and post: Lajos Bebrits, Hungarian Workers’ Party, agriculture: National Peasant Party, heavy industry: Mihály Zsofinyecz, Hungarian Workers’ Party, light industry: György Marosán, Hungarian Workers’ Party, building József Darvas, National Peasant Party), home trade: József Bognár, Smallholders, foreign trade: Sándor Rónai, Hungarian Workers’ Party, social welfare: Anna Ratkó, Hungarian Workers’ Party, religion and public education: Gyula Ortutay, Smallholders,- successor of Imre Vajda, Hungarian Workers’ Party, at the head of the National Planning Board: Zoltán Vas, Hungarian Workers’ Party
18 June Hungarian government declares the Five Year Hungarian-Yugoslav economic cooperation agreement signed on 24 Juhy 1947 as void.
10 July The 3rd assembly of the National Associa-tion of People’s Colleges declares the abolition of the organization and the transfer of the colleges to the state.
14-18 Aug. World Youth Festival in Budapest.
18 Aug. Hungarian Parliament adopts article XX/1949 about the new Constitution.
23 Aug. Parliament elects the Presidential Cou-ncil. President: the then president of the republic, Árpád Szakasits.
5 Sept. The Presidential Council reelects (in unchanged composition) the government that resigned after the Constitution came into force, and with decree 5/1949 it abandons compulsory religious education in schools.
24 Sept. Under a charge of anti-popular crimes, spying, treason, the promotion of the war plans of the imperialist powers and the defeat of the democratic state order, László Rajk, Tibor Szőnyi and András Szalai received death sentences, Lázár Brankov and Pál Justus life imprisonment, Milán Ognyenovics 9 years in prison. The court transfers the cases of György Pálffy and Béla Ko-rondy to the military court. The death sentences are carried out on 15 Oct.
30 Sept. The Hungarian government renounces the friendship treaty with Yugoslavia.
21 Oct. The Budapest military high court sentences – on false charges – György Pálffy, Béla Ko-rody, Dezső Németh and Otto Horváth to death. The sentences are carried out on 24 Oct.
10 Dec. Parliament adopts article XXV/1949 about the first Five Year Plan.
14 Dec. For administrative reasons, decree 4343/1949 of the Council of Ministers divides the country into 19 counties from the earlier 25, and defines their seats. This measures comes into force on 1 Jan.1950.
20 Dec. Decree 4349/1949 of the Council of Ministers brings the suburbs and villages into Budapest; the number of districts in the capital increases to 22.
28 Dec. Decree 20/1949 of the Presidential Council declares the nationalization of factories in foreign ownership employing more than 10 persons.
