Institution

State Protection Authority

1945–1956 · 20th century · Also known as ÁVH, Államvédelmi Hatóság

The State Protection Authority, ÁVH, was the secret police of communist Hungary, known as the ÁVO until 1950. Under Mátyás Rákosi it carried out mass arrests, torture and the show trials of real and imagined opponents. Hated by the population, its members were targeted during the revolution of 1956, after which it was dissolved.

State Protection Authority
Image: Thommy, Oppashi · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Hungarian People's Republic

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). State Protection Authority. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/state-protection-authority
MLA
“State Protection Authority.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/state-protection-authority. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “State Protection Authority.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/state-protection-authority.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘State Protection Authority’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/state-protection-authority (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻