Századok – 2002

Tanulmányok - Sipos József: Nagyatádi Szabó István és a Kisgazdapárt kormányzópárttá bővítése V/989

NAGYATÁDI SZABÓ ISTVÁN ÉS A KISGAZDAPÁRT.. 1059 ISTVÁN NAGYATÁDI SZABÓ AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SMALLHOLDERS' PARTY INTO A GOVERNING PARTY by Sipos József (Summary) In February 1922 the prime minister, count István Bethlen, and István Nagyatádi Szabó, leader of the Smallholders' Party, established the so-called United Party. This act turned to be one of the crucial elements of the political consolidation. Moreover, it can be safely stated that Bethlen and Nagyatádi, by forming the United Party, established a governing force on the basis of which the political elite, while adapting itself to the changing political circumstances, was able the govern the country without major political crises until as late as the autumn of 1944. Yet the circumstances of the birth of the United Party were analysed neither in the interwar period, nor by the marxist historiography nor after the fall of the Communist regime with the thoroughness demanded by its historical importance. Because of the lack of primary research the opinions of the historians widely diverge as to the time of the United Party's foundation as well as to the moment and circumstances of Bethlen and the dissidents joining the Smallholders' Party. Alter a brief historiographical overwiev the author exposes his views against this background. His main conclusions are as follow. On 5 January 1922 Bethlen and his politicalallies did not join the Smallholders' Party, only indicated their intention to do so. It was not on 2 or 22 February but on 25 January that the Smallholders' Party integrated into its name the term „polgári" and offered entrance to the MPs while continuing to emphasise its basic political principles in an unaltered form. Bethlen and the dissidents, completed by two other MPs, joined the party on 2 February. Consequently, this day should be preferred as the birthday of the new party instead of 22 February indicated by most of the manuals. The new leadership of the Party was elected on 23 February. On 24 February the United Party was joined by MPs of the National Central Party and of the Hungarian Party of Order (Magyar Rendpárt), followed on 2 March by the right-wing MPs of the Party of Independence. The United Party was therefore established by enlarging the name, organisation and politicalprogram of the Smallholders' Party. Consequently, the latter was neither absorbed nor disintegrated but simply widened into a larger organisation, within which Nagyatádi Szabó and his agrarian-liberal followers retained considerable political influence. Thus, the author regards the United Party as having represented not only the aristocracy the bourgeoisie and the well-to-do middle classes but also the upper layers of the peasantry.