He fought in World War I and then joined the Hungarian Red Army to fight against the rebelling Slovakian, Romanian, and other nationalists.

In the first year of World War II, he was Chief of Artillery Field Training, until 1 August 1941, when he became commander of the IV Army Corps.

With this Corps, he served on the battlefield in the Soviet Union until 3 December 1942, when he was recalled to Hungary, to reform and lead the Hungarian Third Army.

Miklós Horthy moved to reconsolidate his influence and began considering strategies for surrendering to the Western Allies because he distrusted the Red Army.

Horthy was captured by Edmund Veesenmayer and his staff later on 15 October and taken to the Waffen SS office, where he was held overnight.