The Role of Customs and Finance Guards in Detecting Economic Crime, 1945–1956

Abstract

The devastation of World War II and its consequences, i.e. the land that was left fallow, the destruction of industrial factories, the breakdown of production, the mandatory supply of the occupying Soviet army, the reparation obligations and the highest inflation rate known to date, all together put an enormous burden on Hungary, that eventually crashed its economy. This situation required rapid and radical measures that were also used by the Hungarian Communist Party to change the economic and social fabric of the country. The police and other armed forces, including the Financial Guard, played a role in securing the new economic order. The article intends to present their works.