Vitéz Jenő Rátz de Nagylak (20 September 1882 – 21 January 1952) was a Hungarian military officer and politician, who served as

Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

in 1938. He fought in the First World War. During the Hungarian Soviet Republic, he served in the National Army. From 1 October 1936, he became Chief of the General Staff of the

Royal Hungarian Army The Royal Hungarian Army (, ) was the name given to the land forces of the Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946), Kingdom of Hungary in the period from 1922 to 1945. Its name was inherited from the Royal Hungarian Honvéd which went under the same Hu ...

(''Magyar Királyi Honvédség''). Béla Imrédy appointed him as

. After that, he was a representative in the House of Representatives of Hungary. During the cabinet of Döme Sztójay, he was a

minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

and Deputy Prime Minister. After the war the People's Tribunal sentenced Rátz to death by firing squad; however, his sentence was later reduced to

life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence (law), sentence of imprisonment under which the convicted individual is to remain incarcerated for the rest of their natural life (or until pardoned or commuted to a fixed term). Crimes that result in life impr ...

. He died in prison in 1952.

References

Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon

168 Óra Online – István Bölcs: Díszmagyar és rohamsisak
2007-06-20. Retrieved 11 September 2010. 1882 births 1952 deaths Politicians from Zrenjanin People from the Kingdom of Hungary Hungarians in Vojvodina Hungarian fascists Hungarian soldiers Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Ministers of defence of Hungary Speakers of the House of Magnates Hungarian collaborators with Nazi Germany Hungarian people convicted of war crimes Hungarian prisoners sentenced to death Prisoners sentenced to death by Hungary Prisoners who died in Hungarian detention Hungarian people who died in prison custody Hungarian politicians convicted of crimes Military personnel from Zrenjanin {{Hungary-politician-stub World War II prisoners of war held by the United States