KAROLYI, MICHAEL, COUNT (1875— ), Hungarian politician, was born on March 4, 1875, and descended from a famous and wealthy family. First elected as a Liberal in the parliament of 1905, Karolyi entered public life definitively in 1909, when he became president of the Hungarian Agricultural Society, and worked for the creation of an agrarian Centre party. He then resigned from the conservative Agricultural Society and, having come under the influence of the writings of Karl Marx, became leader of the Radical wing of the Independence party, and led the Parliamentary opposition against Count Stephen Tisza, then Prime Minister, with whom he fought a duel.
In his autobiography Karolyi admitted that it was Tisza who drove him into a democratic camp, but maintained that his political ambitions were to break the relations between Austria. and Hungary, substituting for them a Russo-Hungarian rapproche ment, and also to destroy the capitalist system. In order to pro vide party funds for these purposes he entered into secret nego tiations with the French Government and visited America. His return from that country coincided with the outbreak of the World War and he was interned in France, but was soon released on the understanding that on reaching Hungary he would do his best to bring the War to a speedy conclusion. He then founded the Karolyi party for the purpose of breaking with the Germans and entering into a separate treaty of peace.
On Oct. 25, 1918, when the War was clearly lost, Count Karolyi founded the National Council composed of his own personal sup porters, Social Democrats and Radicals. The Werkerle Cabinet resigned, and Count Hadik was appointed Premier by King Charles. On Oct. 3o there was a revolution, led by the Soldiers' Council and supporters of the National Council, who occupied practically all strategic points in Budapest. The next day Count
Hadik resigned and in the name of King Charles Archduke Joseph appointed Count Karolyi as Prime Minister, who then took the oath of allegiance to the King. The same day Count Tisza was assassinated. On Nov. 16 the Hungarian People's Republic was proclaimed, and full powers were entrusted to the Cabinet of which Karolyi was Prime Minister. On Jan. II, 1919, the National Council formally proclaimed Karolyi as President of the People's Republic.
Karolyi attempted to introduce the reforms which he had advocated and to negotiate with the Entente and with Hungary's noblemen ; but the situation was too difficult for him, and on March 21, 1919, he handed over the Government to the Soviet of Bela Kun. He remained in the country unmolested until the eve of the collapse of terrorism and then left Hungary for Czecho Slovakia. Later he was expelled from Italy for Communist propa ganda and made his headquarters in Paris.
The High Court of Hungary found, after public trial at which Count Karolyi was legally represented, that on account of his actions during the War and in organising the revolution he was guilty of high treason and felony. His estates were confiscated, a large portion of them being divided under Land Reform, among some 5,000 smallholders. It was further officially maintained that by negotiating a separate armistice with Gen. Franchet d'Esperey at Belgrade Karolyi deprived Hungary of many terri torial and other rights to which she was entitled under an armistice previously concluded by Gen. Diaz on the Italian front with the Austro-Hungarian armies.
See Karolyi's own autobiography Fighting the World (1926).