Based on his personal experience, the author examines the training and practice of socialist and Western-style military and law enforcement leaders. During the socialist era, military officer training in Hungary took place at three military colleges: Kossuth Lajos Military College (mechanized infantry, armour, field artillery, engineer, reconnaissance, border guards); Zalka Máté Military Technical College (air defence artillery, logistics, chemical protection, signal, radio reconnaissance, mechanical engineer); and Killián György College of Aeronautic Engineering (pilots, aircraft engineers, and other support staff). The military higher education took place at the Zrínyi Miklós Military Academy. The General Staff Officers training was held in the Soviet Union and later on in Poland and in the German Democratic Republic. For law enforcement officers, including state security cadets, a Police College was established in 1971. After the political changes in 1990, military and law enforcement agency reform was high on the political agenda of the new leadership. Following the democratic transition, the government decided to appoint new military leaders and police chiefs and to reorganise their training. The political leaders of the United States and the law enforcement agencies of western European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) gave the new Hungarian government technical assistance and helped to prepare managers and experts.