Mátyás Rákosi (9 March 1892 – 5 February 1971) was a Hungarian communist politician. He was born Mátyás Rosenfeld in Ada (in present-day Serbia). He was the leader of Hungary's Communist Party from 1945 to 1956 — first as General Secretary of the Hungarian Communist Party (1945–1948) and later holding the same post with the Hungarian Working People's Party (1948–1956). As such, from 1949 to 1956, he was the de facto ruler of Communist Hungary. His rule was aligned with Soviet politics during Joseph Stalin's rule. He was removed from power in 1956 under pressure from Stalin's successor, Nikita Khrushchev.