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Janos Kadar

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World Leader

The Resume

    (May 26, 1912-July 6, 1989)
    Born in Fiume, Austria-Hungary (now Rijeka, Croatia)
    Birth name was Janos Czermanek
    Minister of the Interior of Hungary (1948-50)
    Prime Minister of Hungary (1956-58,1961-65)
    Secretary-General of the Hungarian Communist Party (1956-88)

Why he might be annoying:

    He frequently cut classes to play soccer before eventually dropping out.
    During the 1956 Hungarian Uprising, he told the Soviet ambassador, in the presence of the Hungarian Council of Ministers, that if Soviet tanks entered Budapest, he would fight them with his bare hands.
    Less than 24 hours later, he slipped out of Budapest and showed up along the Soviets, demanding that they intervene to 'end the excesses of the counter-revolutionary elements.'
    He promised his predecessor, Imre Nagy, safe passage out of the country.
    Instead, as soon as Nagy left the sanctuary of the Yugoslavian embassy, he was arrested, then put on trial and executed.
    He started his reign with a crackdown that led to the arrest and imprisonment of tens of thousands of Hungarians and the execution of several hundred.
    He was a chain smoker.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was imprisoned for three years and tortured by an earlier Communist regime (1951-54).
    He eventually eased restrictions on free speech, culture and travel.
    His 'goulash Communism' approach, which adopted elements of free market economies, produced a higher standard of living than in most Eastern Bloc countries.
    He had zero tolerance for government corruption.
    He lived modestly, avoiding the self-indulgence of many other Communist leaders.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 113 Votes: 50.44% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 28 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 212 Votes: 51.42% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 28 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 32 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 70 Votes: 50.0% Annoying