Hungarian National Defence Association

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The Hungarian National Defence Association (Hungarian: Magyar Országos Véderő Egylet or MOVE) was an early fascist movement active in Hungary. The structure of the group was largely paramilitary and as such separate from its leader's later political initiatives.[1]

MOVE grew out of the 'right radicals' phenomenon i.e. those who strongly opposed the Hungarian Soviet Republic but who felt that the mainstream conservatives were not strong enough to cope with the shift to communism.[2] An extreme group of these radicals within the army formed around Gyula Gömbös in Szeged and in 1919 solidified as MOVE (or the Szeged Fascists) as they were more commonly known.[3] Already self identifying as 'national socialists' in 1919, the group called for changes in land ownership, a more Christian economic policy against the capitalism which they identified as Jewish and a foreign policy based on revanchism.[4]

When Miklós Horthy ousted the communists MOVE was largely turned over to him, although it continued to develop along fascist lines, offering support for Benito Mussolini and establishing contacts with Adolf Hitler and Erich Ludendorff in Germany.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Tibor Iván, Decades of Crisis: Central and Eastern Europe Before World War II, University of California Press, 1998, p. 109
  2. ^ Stanley G. Payne, A History of Fascism 1914-1945, London, Roultedge, 2001, p. 132
  3. ^ Payne, op cit
  4. ^ Payne, op cit
  5. ^ Payne, op cit
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