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{{Short description|Leader of Hungary from 1988 to 1989}}
{{Infobox_President | name=Károly Grósz
{{Redirect|Karoly Grosz|the American film poster artist|Karoly Grosz (illustrator)}}
| image=GroszKaroly.jpg
| nationality=]
| order=General Secretary of the ]
| term_start=May 27, 1988
| term_end=October 7, 1989
| predecessor=]
| successor=<small>'''End of communist rule'''</small>
| order2 = ] of the ]
| primeminister2 =
| term_start2 = June 25, 1987
| term_end2 = November 24, 1988<br>({{age in years and days|1987|6|25|1988|11|24}})
| predecessor2 = ]
| successor2 = ]
| primeminister3 =
| term_start3 =
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| birth_date={{Birth date|1930|08|1|mf=yes}}
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| death_place=], ]
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}}
{{eastern name order|Grósz Károly}} {{eastern name order|Grósz Károly}}
{{Infobox President
'''Károly Grósz''' (August 1, 1930 - January 7, 1996) was a ] ] politician.
| name = Károly Grósz
| image = Grósz Károly (cropped).jpg
| caption = Károly Grósz in 1987
| nationality = ]
| order = General Secretary of the ]
| term_start = 22 May 1988
| term_end = 26 June 1989
| predecessor = ]
| successor = ]
| order2 = ] of the ]
| primeminister2 =
| term_start2 = 25 June 1987
| term_end2 = 24 November 1988
| 1blankname2 = Chairman of the Presidential Council
| 1namedata2 = ]<BR>]
| predecessor2 = ]
| successor2 = ]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|08|1|df=yes}}
| birth_place = ], ]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1996|1|7|1930|08|1|df=yes}}
| death_place = ], ]
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| party = {{ubl|] (1945–1948)|] (1948–1956)|] (1956–1989)|] (1989–1990)}}
| profession =
}}


'''Károly Grósz''' {{IPA-hu|ˈkaːroj ˈɡroːs|}} (1 August 1930 – 7 January 1996) was a ] ] politician, who served as the General Secretary of the ] from 1988 to 1989.
Grósz was born in ], ]. He joined the Communist Party in 1945 at the age of 14. Soon the Communists had established a regime in Hungary, and Grósz rose through the party ranks, becoming an important party leader in his native region. In 1974 he was appointed head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda of the governing ].


==Early career==
In 1979 Grósz was elected first secretary of the party committee of his home county. In 1984 he returned to national prominence as the head of the party committee in ]. At the next Party Congress in 1985, he became a member of the Politburo. In 1987, he was appointed (] (] of the ]) to succeed ], who had filled the post for more than eleven years. The appointment of the younger and more energetic Grósz was acclaimed both at home and abroad. As the country was facing economic troubles and growing discontent, the aging party leader ] decided to resign, although originally he had planned to remain in office until 1990. In May 1988 a party conference was convened, which elected Károly Grósz as general secretary of the party at Kádár's recommendation on May 22, 1988.
Grósz was born in ], ]. He joined the ] in 1945 at the age of 14. The Communists took full power in 1949, and Grósz rose through the party ranks, becoming an important party leader in his native region. He functioned as head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda in the ] branch of the ] (MDP) from 1954. He also held the position during the ], when he banned local journals from coverage of events and forced to remove ] from letterhead of local newspaper ''Észak-Magyarország''. On 4 November 1956, after the revolution was crushed, Grósz was appointed head of the local party apparatus of the ruling communist party.


In 1974 he was appointed head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda of the governing ]. In 1979 Grósz was elected first secretary of the party committee of his home county. In 1984 he returned to national prominence as the head of the party committee in ]. At the next Party Congress in 1985, he became a member of the Politburo. In 1987, he was appointed ] (] of the ] - the second most powerful position after that of General Secretary) to succeed ], who had filled the post for more than eleven years. The appointment of the younger and more energetic Grósz was acclaimed both at home and abroad.
Grósz remained prime minister until later that year, when he was succeeded by ], a representative of the radical reformer faction. He advocated moderate and measured changes in the political and economic spheres with the aim to accomplish a careful reform of socialism without touching the latter's foundations. He liked to call this a "model change" (i.e. reforms and refinements within socialism), as opposed to a total "system change", i.e. the replacement of socialism by a Western-style system.


As the country was facing economic troubles and growing discontent, the aging party leader ] decided to resign, although originally he had planned to remain in office until 1990. In May 1988 a party conference was convened, which elected Grósz as general secretary of the party at Kádár's recommendation on 22 May 1988. He advocated moderate and measured changes in the political and economic spheres. As he put it, this would result in a careful reform of the Communist system without touching the latter's foundations. He liked to call this a "model change" (i.e. reforms and refinements within the Communist framework), as opposed to the total "system change", i.e. the replacement of Communism by a Western-style system, advocated by a growing faction of radical reformers in the party.
However, he lost a good deal of his authority when he agreed to meet with Romanian leader ] to discuss what to do with a large number of ethnic Hungarians who had fled Romania. Many of Grósz' party colleagues thought he trusted Ceausescu too much. He lost a good deal of authority as a result, and was thus powerless to slow down the dramatic changes the country was undergoing in 1989.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sebetsyen|first=Victor|title=Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire|publisher=]|location=New York City|date=2009|isbn=0375425322}}</ref>


==Leader of Hungary==
He tried to slow down, stop or reverse the radical changes advocated by his adversaries that were aimed at establishing a Western-type political system and market economy in Hungary. He opposed the rehabilitation of the executed ], Prime Minister during the 1956 revolution. Hoping to defuse the campaign to rehabilitate Nagy, Grósz broke the news of the latter's earlier ] ties in a speech at the September 1, 1989 meeting of the HSWP Central Committee, but those present decided not to publish the facts. (Soviet KGB chief ] had sent a dossier of incriminating KGB documents, both genuine and bogus, to Soviet General Secretary ] on Friday, June 16, 1989 - the same day that several hundred thousand Hungarians gathered in Heroes’ Square in Budapest to witness the ceremonial reburial of Nagy and several other leaders of the 1956 revolt who had been tried and executed in 1958). In February 1993, when Kryuchkov’s secret letter to Gorbachev was published in the Italian newspaper '']'', Grósz gave an interview to the Hungarian newspaper ''Népszabadsag'' the following month, acknowledging that Nagy had indeed worked for the Soviet secret police in the 1930s and early 1940s<ref>.", ''Cold War International History Project Bulletin'', Spring, 1995.</ref>
] in Washington, D.C., 27 July 1988]]
Grósz remained prime minister until 24 November 1988, when he was succeeded by ], a representative of the radical reformer faction.


As 1989 wore on, Grósz was increasingly sidelined by the radical reformers within the party, including ], ], ] and ]. In the summer of 1989, he became a member of a four-man collective presidency of the MSZMP, chaired by Nyers. However, he opposed the radical reformers' drive to reorganize the party along the concept of Western European ]. He remained general secretary until October 7, when the party reorganized itself as the ]. As 1989 wore on, Grósz was increasingly sidelined by the radical reformers within the party, including Németh, ], ] and ]. He tried to slow down, stop or reverse the radical changes advocated by his adversaries that were aimed at establishing a liberal political system and market economy in Hungary. He opposed the rehabilitation of the executed ], Prime Minister during the 1956 revolution. In order to prevent Nagy's political rehabilitation, Grósz gave a speech before the Central Committee of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party on 1 September 1989, where he provided some information on the former prime minister's alleged ] ties, however the committee decided not to publish the charges.<ref>Johanna Granville, ''Cold War International History Project Bulletin'', Spring, 1995.</ref>


Grósz's fate was sealed when he agreed to meet with Romanian leader ] to discuss what to do with a large number of ethnic Hungarians who had fled Romania. Many of Grósz' party colleagues thought he trusted Ceaușescu too much. He lost a good deal of authority as a result, and his standing never really recovered.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sebetsyen|first=Victor|title=Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire|publisher=]|location=New York City|year=2009|isbn=0-375-42532-2|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/revolution1989fa00sebe}}</ref>
The communist ("hardline") faction, led by Grósz, was defeated at the congress and refounded itself in December 1989 as a new ] with Grósz as its first acting chairman (later renamed Workers' Party and the 'Communist Workers' Party'). The party failed to win parliamentary representation in the first multiparty election in the newly formed Republic of Hungary.<ref>Международный ежегодник: политика и экономика. Выпуск 1989 г. /АН СССР, Ин-т мировой экономики и междунар. отношений; Гл.ред О.Н.Быков - М. Политиздат, 1989 - С.71.</ref>


On 26 June 1989, he became a member of a four-man collective presidency of the MSZMP, chaired by Nyers. Although Grósz retained his post as general secretary, Nyers now outranked him–and thus replaced him as the de facto leader of Hungary. However, he opposed the radical reformers' drive to reorganize the party as a ] party. He remained general secretary until 7 October, when the party reorganized itself as the ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Denise |date=1989-06-25 |title=Reformer to Head Hungary's Communist Party |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-25-mn-6443-story.html |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
He died of kidney cancer at age 65 in ], Hungary.

==Later life==
The communist ("hardline") faction, led by Grósz, was defeated at the congress and broke away in December 1989 as a new ], with Grósz as its first acting chairman (later renamed Workers' Party and the 'Communist Workers' Party'). The party failed to win parliamentary representation in the first multiparty election in the newly formed Republic of Hungary. ] took place on 25 March and 8 April 1990.<ref>;
(])</ref>

On 7 January 1996, he died of kidney cancer at age 65 in ], Hungary.<ref>{{cite news|title=Karoly Grosz, 65, Is Dead; Began Hungarian Reforms|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/09/world/karoly-grosz-65-is-dead-began-hungarian-reforms.html|access-date=15 November 2014|work=The New York Times|agency=Reuters|date=9 January 1996}}</ref>


== Notes == == Notes ==
<references/> <references/>

{{Seealso|Grósz}}
== External links ==
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{{Leaders of the Ruling Parties of the Eastern Bloc}}

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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
| NAME =Grosz, Karoly
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH =August 1, 1930
| PLACE OF BIRTH =], ]
| DATE OF DEATH =January 7, 1996
| PLACE OF DEATH =], ]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grosz, Karoly}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Grosz, Karoly}}
] ]
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Latest revision as of 07:02, 8 May 2024

Leader of Hungary from 1988 to 1989 "Karoly Grosz" redirects here. For the American film poster artist, see Karoly Grosz (illustrator). The native form of this personal name is Grósz Károly. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Károly Grósz
Károly Grósz in 1987
General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
In office
22 May 1988 – 26 June 1989
Preceded byJános Kádár
Succeeded byRezső Nyers
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Hungary
In office
25 June 1987 – 24 November 1988
Chairman of the Presidential CouncilKároly Németh
Brunó Ferenc Straub
Preceded byGyörgy Lázár
Succeeded byMiklós Németh
Personal details
Born(1930-08-01)1 August 1930
Miskolc, Hungary
Died7 January 1996(1996-01-07) (aged 65)
Gödöllő, Hungary
Political party

Károly Grósz [ˈkaːroj ˈɡroːs] (1 August 1930 – 7 January 1996) was a Hungarian communist politician, who served as the General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party from 1988 to 1989.

Early career

Grósz was born in Miskolc, Hungary. He joined the Hungarian Communist Party in 1945 at the age of 14. The Communists took full power in 1949, and Grósz rose through the party ranks, becoming an important party leader in his native region. He functioned as head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda in the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County branch of the Hungarian Working People's Party (MDP) from 1954. He also held the position during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, when he banned local journals from coverage of events and forced to remove Kossuth Coat of Arms from letterhead of local newspaper Észak-Magyarország. On 4 November 1956, after the revolution was crushed, Grósz was appointed head of the local party apparatus of the ruling communist party.

In 1974 he was appointed head of the Department of Agitation and Propaganda of the governing Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party. In 1979 Grósz was elected first secretary of the party committee of his home county. In 1984 he returned to national prominence as the head of the party committee in Budapest. At the next Party Congress in 1985, he became a member of the Politburo. In 1987, he was appointed Prime Minister of Hungary (Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Hungary - the second most powerful position after that of General Secretary) to succeed György Lázár, who had filled the post for more than eleven years. The appointment of the younger and more energetic Grósz was acclaimed both at home and abroad.

As the country was facing economic troubles and growing discontent, the aging party leader János Kádár decided to resign, although originally he had planned to remain in office until 1990. In May 1988 a party conference was convened, which elected Grósz as general secretary of the party at Kádár's recommendation on 22 May 1988. He advocated moderate and measured changes in the political and economic spheres. As he put it, this would result in a careful reform of the Communist system without touching the latter's foundations. He liked to call this a "model change" (i.e. reforms and refinements within the Communist framework), as opposed to the total "system change", i.e. the replacement of Communism by a Western-style system, advocated by a growing faction of radical reformers in the party.

Leader of Hungary

Grósz meets with U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C., 27 July 1988

Grósz remained prime minister until 24 November 1988, when he was succeeded by Miklós Németh, a representative of the radical reformer faction.

As 1989 wore on, Grósz was increasingly sidelined by the radical reformers within the party, including Németh, Rezső Nyers, Gyula Horn and Imre Pozsgay. He tried to slow down, stop or reverse the radical changes advocated by his adversaries that were aimed at establishing a liberal political system and market economy in Hungary. He opposed the rehabilitation of the executed Imre Nagy, Prime Minister during the 1956 revolution. In order to prevent Nagy's political rehabilitation, Grósz gave a speech before the Central Committee of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party on 1 September 1989, where he provided some information on the former prime minister's alleged NKVD ties, however the committee decided not to publish the charges.

Grósz's fate was sealed when he agreed to meet with Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu to discuss what to do with a large number of ethnic Hungarians who had fled Romania. Many of Grósz' party colleagues thought he trusted Ceaușescu too much. He lost a good deal of authority as a result, and his standing never really recovered.

On 26 June 1989, he became a member of a four-man collective presidency of the MSZMP, chaired by Nyers. Although Grósz retained his post as general secretary, Nyers now outranked him–and thus replaced him as the de facto leader of Hungary. However, he opposed the radical reformers' drive to reorganize the party as a social democratic party. He remained general secretary until 7 October, when the party reorganized itself as the Hungarian Socialist Party.

Later life

The communist ("hardline") faction, led by Grósz, was defeated at the congress and broke away in December 1989 as a new Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, with Grósz as its first acting chairman (later renamed Workers' Party and the 'Communist Workers' Party'). The party failed to win parliamentary representation in the first multiparty election in the newly formed Republic of Hungary. These elections took place on 25 March and 8 April 1990.

On 7 January 1996, he died of kidney cancer at age 65 in Gödöllő, Hungary.

Notes

  1. Johanna Granville, Imre Nagy aka 'Volodya' – A Dent in the Martyr's Halo? Cold War International History Project Bulletin, Spring, 1995.
  2. Sebetsyen, Victor (2009). Revolution 1989: The Fall of the Soviet Empire. New York City: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-375-42532-2.
  3. Hamilton, Denise (1989-06-25). "Reformer to Head Hungary's Communist Party". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  4. www.electionresources.org/hu; ipu.org (Inter-Parliamentary Union)
  5. "Karoly Grosz, 65, Is Dead; Began Hungarian Reforms". The New York Times. Reuters. 9 January 1996. Retrieved 15 November 2014.

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Political offices
Preceded byGyörgy Lázár Prime Minister of Hungary
1987–1988 		Succeeded byMiklós Németh
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