Lajos Veress
{{short description|Hungarian general}}
{{eastern name order|dálnoki Veress Lajos}}
{{no footnotes|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Lajos Veress
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1889|10|04}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1976|03|29|1889|10|04}}
|birth_place=Sepsiszentgyörgy, Austria-Hungary (now Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania)
|death_place=London, England, United Kingdom
|placeofburial = Alba Regia Chapel in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, United States
|image=Veress_Lajos.jpg
|image_size=215
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance={{flag|Austria-Hungary}} (to 1918)
{{flagicon|Hungary|1920}} Kingdom of Hungary
|branch=Austro-Hungarian Army
Royal Hungarian Army
|serviceyears=1910-1944, 1946
|rank=Colonel General
|commands=Hungarian Second Army
|unit=
|battles=
{{tree list}}
{{tree list/end}}
|awards=
|relations=
|laterwork=}}
Lajos Veress de Dálnok (4 October 1889 - 29 March 1976) was a Hungarian military officer, who served as commander of the Hungarian Second Army during the Second World War.
Veress was born into a Székely noble family. He finished his studies at the Ludovica Military Academy in 1910 and served as chief of staff of the Cavalry Division between 1933 and 1935. After that he had been a military attaché to Vienna in 1935–1938. From 1938 to 1940 he served as commander of the 15th Infantry Brigade. In 1940 he was the leader of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade as major general. Soon he was promoted to lieutenant general and fought at the Don Front as commander of the First Armoured Division. Between 1942 and 1944 he served as commander of the 9th Corps. He was appointed commander of the Second Army on 1 April 1944.
Before the beginning of the surrender negotiations with the Allies Regent Miklós Horthy, who tried to step out of the war, was appointed him homo regius (the regent's deputy) if Horthy would be indisposed. As a result of his pro-German officers' betrayal, the German army arrested Veress and gave to the Arrow Cross authorities; a military court sentenced him to fifteen years. He was imprisoned on 16 October 1944 in Sopronkőhida but later successfully escaped. He retired in 1946.
Veress was sentenced to death on 16 April 1947 on charges of right-wing, anti-state conspiracy by a People's Tribunal. The National Council of People's Tribunals then mitigated and changed the sentence to life imprisonment. He was released during the 1956 uprising and left the country on 3 November 1956. From 1958 he served as chairman of the World Federation of Hungarian Freedom Fighters. Veress died in London. He was buried in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
Awards and decorations
style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=HUN Signum Laudis Grand-Gold-Medal (war) swords BAR.svg|width=106}} |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=HUN Order of Merit of Hungary pre1945 (mil) CCross Star wreath-swords BAR.svg|width=106}} |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=HUN Order of Merit of Hungary pre1945 (mil) CCross Star wreath BAR.svg|width=106}} |{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=HUN Order of Merit of Hungary pre1945 (mil) CCross swords BAR.svg|width=106}} |
{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=HUN Order of Merit of Hungary pre1945 (mil) CCross BAR.svg|width=106px}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=AUT KuK Kriegsbande schwertern-gold BAR.svg|width=106px}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=AUT KuK Kriegsbande schwertern-gold BAR.svg|width=106px}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=AUT KuK Kriegsbande schwertern-gold BAR.svg|width=106px}} |
{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=AUT KuK Kriegsbande schwertern-gold BAR.svg|width=106px}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=HUN Signum Laudis Medal (mil) Bronze BAR.svg|width=106px}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=AUT Karl-Truppenkreuz BAR.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=AUT KuK Wound Medal (3 Stripes) BAR.svg|width=106px}} |
{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=HUN Great War Commemorative Medal (combat) BAR.svg|width=106px}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=HUN Szolgalati Jel pre1945 (mod-2) BAR.svg|width=106px}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=HUN Transylvania Commemorative Medal BAR.svg|width=106px}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=AUT KuK Mobilization Cross 1912-1913 BAR.svg|width=106px}} |
{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=FIN Order of the Lion of Finland 1Class BAR.svg|width=106px}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=AUT Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria - Bronze Medal BAR.png|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=DEU EK 1 Klasse BAR.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=DEU EK 2 Klasse BAR.svg|width=106px}} |
{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=AUT WWI Commemorative Medal (with swords) BAR.svg|width=106px}} |
colspan="5"|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Insignia Hungary Order Vitéz.svg|width=106px}} |
class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
!1st row |Golden Military Merit Medal on war ribbon with swords (12. October 1944) |Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary Commander's Cross with Star on war ribbon with swords (17. November 1942) |Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary Commander's Cross with Star on war ribbon (4. December 1943) |Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary Commander's Cross on war ribbon with swords (18. June 1941) |
2nd row
|Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Hungary Commander's Cross on war ribbon (1938) |Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with war decoration and swords |Military Merit Cross 3rd Class with war decoration and swords |Silver Military Merit Medal on war ribbon with swords |
---|
3rd row
|Bronze Military Merit Medal on war ribbon with swords |Hungarian Bronze Military Merit Medal (1. March 1930) |
4th row
|Hungarian World War I Commemorative Medal |Long Service Crosses for Officers 2nd class |
5th row
|Order of the Lion of Finland Commander, First Class (6. September 1944) |Order Of Merit First Republic of Austria Commander's Cross, 1st class (1937) |Iron Cross 1st Class |Iron Cross 2nd Class |
6th row |
Badge
| align=center colspan="4" |Badge of the Order of Vitéz |
Works
- Magyarország honvédelme a 2. világháború előtt és alatt, I-III., München, 1972.
References
- [http://mek.niif.hu/00300/00355/html/index.html Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon]
- Kis, András: A magyar közösségtől a földalatti fővezérségig, Bp., 1969.
- Borbándi, Gyula: A magyar emigráció életrajza 1945-1985, Bp., 1989
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
|title=Commander of the Hungarian Second Army
|before=Lieutenant-General Géza Lakatos
|after=Lieutenant-General Jenő Major
|years=1 April 1944 – 16 October 1944
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Veress, Lajos}}
Category:People from Sfântu Gheorghe
{{Hungary-mil-bio-stub}}
Category:Hungarian collaborators with Nazi Germany
Category:Hungarian military personnel of World War II
Category:Hungarian prisoners sentenced to death