HORTHY DE NAGYBANYA, NICHOLAS (1868 ), Hungarian admiral and regent, was born June 18, 1868 at Kenderes, in the family mansion in the county of Szolnok (East ern Hungary). His family belonged to the landed gentry, and from 1635 ranked amongst the nobility. After studying at the naval academy at Fiume he entered the navy of the Dual Mon archy. After considerable sea service he was appointed A.D.C. to the Emperor Francis Joseph, and served in the naval depart ment of the War Ministry in Vienna. At the outbreak of the World War he was appointed to command the cruiser "Novara." After Italy joined the Allies Horthy distinguished himself in the naval raids on Porto Corsini and San Giovanni di Medua, and particularly at Otranto, where on May 14, 1917, with the cruisers "Novara," "Saida" and "Helgoland," he broke through the ship cordon blockading the Straits of Otranto. Horthy, although se verely wounded, remained on deck and continued the fight until he succeeded in returning safely with his ships to his home port, despite the enemy's heavy fire. He was awarded the military cross of Maria Theresa. Near the end of the War Horthy was appointed commander-in-chief of the Austro-Hungarian fleet.
After the collapse of the Monarchy and when revolution broke out in Hungary Admiral Horthy returned to organize the counter revolutionary forces in southeastern Hungary, where his popu larity added considerably to the influence of the unofficial counter revolutionary Government formed by Count Julius Karolyi in Hungarian territory occupied by French troops. When it became obvious that the fall of Bolshevism was imminent, the second "Szeged Government" appointed Horthy commander-in-chief of the national army, which, after the flight of the people's corn missioners (Aug. 1919), entered Transdanubia, entering Buda pest, with Horthy at its head, on Nov. 16, 1919, after the with drawal of the Rumanian troops.
The severity with which order was restored subjected Horthy to many attacks for failing to restrain the extremist leaders. The national assembly which met in Feb. 192o, however, elected Horthy, then still commander-in-chief of the Hungarian forces, to be regent of Hungary (March 1, 192o).
The only question on which opinion among influential Hun garian circles was sharply divided was that of the advisability or possibility of a legitimist restoration. The two attempts of the ex-king Charles (q.v.) to recover his throne placed Horthy in a dilemma between his oath to his king as Admiral and Privy Councillor and his oath as regent. In April 1921 he refused to obey Charles's summons to hand over the government and per suaded him to leave the country by peaceful means. In Oct. 1921, when the king marched on Budapest with an armed force, Horthy employed Hungarian troops against him, disarmed and, under pressure, handed him over to the Entente representatives. As the Hungarian Government was then forced to declare the Habs burg dynasty forfeit of the throne, Horthy was placed in the peculiar position of regent to a legally non-existent king. The legitimist question was, however, seldom raised openly by its partisans and Horthy, who invariably performed his duties with constitutional correctness, had an easier task to fulfill.