Bella Kun was born in Szlagycseh,
Hungary
in 1886. He worked as a
journalist before serving in the Austro-Hungarian
Army during the
First World War. He was captured by the Russian
Army in 1916
and spent the next year in a prison camp. He was released in 1917
and supported the Bolsheviks
during
the Russian Revolution.
On his return to Hungary
he joined with Imre
Nagy, Laszlo
Rajk, Matyas
Rakosi and others to form the Hungarian Communist Party.
After the collapse of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire during the
last few months of the First World War, the
leader of the Independent Party, Mihaly Karolyi,
gained control. He tried to introduce social and democratic reforms
but lack of support led to him being ousted by the communists led
by Kun.
Admiral Miklos
Horthy, commander-in-chief of the Imperial and Royal Fleet, returned
to Hungary
in November 1919 and Kun
was forced to flee. He lived in Vienna before moving to the Soviet
Union.
Joseph
Stalin ordered the execution of Bella Kun in about 1937.
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