Article Preview
Hungary's and Rumania's Nazis-in-Red:
Hitler's Graduates Staff Stalin's New Order
- Abstract
TWO correspondents of an American news agency called on Deputy Prime Minister Rakosi of Hungary in the summer of 1945. At the very outset of their conversation, one of the newspapermen produced a printed form whose text ran somewhat like this: “I admit that I was formerly a member of the Arrow Cross party. I pledge myself, from now on, to be faithful to the Communist party.” “Is this declaration authentic?” the journalist asked. “Of course it is authentic,” replied Rakosi. “How else could one build up a Communist party in this country? How else could I find enough Communists?”
By this and similar routes former Nazis have been swarming into the East European Communist parties, where they are received with open arms. The Nazis need a place of refuge, the Communist party badly needs members: here, obviously, is cause for a marriage of convenience. But so vast is the scale of this recruitment that it would seem to be just as much a marriage of true minds. Indeed, by now the people of these satellite countries-liberals, intellectuals, trade-union leaders, socialists, businessmen, workers, peasants, Jews-see little to distinguish the red dictatorship from the previous brown one.
About the Author
This article is available for purchase to subscribers and for individual purchase
Subscriber Sign In
Not A Subscriber?
