CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Bröker, Jan |
|---|---|
| Title | "Horthy is a nobody" - Trials of lese-regent in Hungary 1920-1944 |
| Summary | The thesis focuses on criminal trials of lèse-régent (Hung. kormányz&# xf3;sért&# xe9;s) in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1920 and 1944. The prosecution of acts of lèse-régent, i.e. insulting the Regent, was based on the laws against lèse-majesté of 1913. Since these acts were considered as a political crime against the Regent, they can provide insights into the perception of the Regent, both by the delinquents, as well as the authorities. Focusing on a sample of 135 case files from the Crown Prosecutor’s office the study analyzes the legal practice in trials of lèse-régent. Going beyond a legal history approach it places the trials in the larger context of the political regime. Thus, the trials are not merely understood as the application of the law but are analyzed with regard to the question of legitimacy. The quantitative development of the number of convictions is linked to the qualitative changes that are documented in the case files. While the so-called Horthy-cult provided the official narrative on Miklós Horthy and was one way of communicating his claim to legitimacy, the trials of lèse-régent served as a coercive means to reinforce these claims. This was mainly by repression of critical utterances and by the suspension of political rights. However, by the granting of amnesty the Regent could bring forward a new claim to legitimacy. While lèse-régent forms only one aspect in the dynamic process of legitimization it can provide valuable insights, since it deals with the Regent exclusively. |
| Supervisor | Iordachi, Constantin; |
| Department | History MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/broker_jan.pdf |
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