Ferenc Szalasi has been described as an original.  He was a burning patriot for the Hungary that he understood.  He desired  the welfare of the common man in Hungary.  His ambition was founded in the belief that he was called to save Hungary and
through Hungary the world.

His military background is not specific.  He served in World War I in the later stages.  During his time in the military he acquired a reputation for being a “military revolutionary”.  This reputation spread and efforts were made to keep him out of politics because he was politically suspect.  His love and admiration for his country was similar to Hitler’s.  Like Hitler, he wanted Hungary to be restored to its former power.
 
Szalasi recognized the importance of Marxism but, he rejected it.  He saw it as a one sided doctrine which was interested only in a single class and not in the nation as a whole.  He described Marxism as one of the 3 positive ideologies of the world.  The
other two were Christianity and Hungarism.  Hungarism was his one ideology that put Hungary back as a world power.  Szalasi felt that while Marxism was a positive ideology it was a threat to Hungarism and had to be destroyed.  Szalasi felt that liberalism bred injustice, which would lead to riots, and felt that it was doomed by its own weakness.  He did not feel that it was a threat to Hungary.  Szalasi saw the solution in National Socialism.
 
Ferenc Szalasi became the head of state and Prime Minister in Hungary after the Germans removed Miklos Horthy from
office.  Horthy made a radio announcement, on October 15, 1944, that Hungary would pull out of the war.  The Germans then
forced Horthy to abdicate and placed Szalasi as head of Hungary.  Szalasi was the leader of the Arrow Cross party when he was placed as the leader of Hungary.