The Fate of Western Hungary 1918-1921 - Corvinus Library ...

all possible means but not officially as that would have adverse diplomatic
ramifications. The withdrawal of civil administration is, thus, to be suspended
for the interim. The Szombathely headquarters and all military commands in
the region were ordered to offer any and all assistance to Col. Lehár in his
attempt to organize the Western Hungary force. The colonel was deemed to be
independent and not part of the command of the regional command structure.
Forty officers of the National Army were selected to form Lehár’s staff and
command structure who were from the annexed territory. These officers were
officially retired by the Defense Ministry but would later be reactivated into the
armed forces without any hindrance. On proclamation of independence, all
public security (gendarmerie, police, customs, revenue and border security)
would come under the jurisdiction of Col. Lehár. Cooperation with the
organization and operation of the new defense force would take the form of
relocating two infantry companies of the Vas County infantry regiment, and a
company of machine guns, to the areas of Vas County intended for annexation
(Felsőőr, [Nagy]Szentmihály és Németújvár) on the same day the Trianon
Treaty was ratified. These would remain stationed there until the disputed areas
were vacated, meaning the linkage with Trans-Danubia was satisfied.
According to the action plan, the following material was made available to Col.
Lehár: 5,000 rifles, 3,000 officers and men with all their gear, 1,000 grenades,
18 heavy and 18 light machine guns, a fully equipped mounted company, 2
field cannons and 2 mortars (from equipment hidden from the Entente
supervising committee), 3 cars, 4 trucks and 3 ambulances, which was to be
bought. 243 At the April 28 session, the artillery complement of the autonomous
area was raised to two batteries.
The secret action plan and directives were acknowledged by the thencommander
of the Szombathely military region, Lt.Gen. Pál Hegedüs, and Col.
Antal Lehár. Lehár, most probably intentionally, left Lt.Col. Pál Prónay, who
he met in the capital, out of the plans. The later leader of the insurrection
recounted it as: “I noted in my journal of my meeting in the spring of 1921 in
Budapest with Col. Baron Antal Lehár, commander of the Szombathely
region, 244 when I reproached him on why he does not make all of Burgenland,
including Sopron and Szombathely, independent based on the selfdetermination
of people and why he does not order a draft and organize the
necessary armed force in the territory to be handed over when its detachment
from the mother country to Austria is already impending. (…) However, Lehár
answered evasively and opined confidently regarding the loyalty of Burgenland
to the mother country, which was so covered by his propaganda organs that it
would never be Austrian. (…) My surprise was all the greater when, during the
same summer, young Ivan Töpler, along with several Sopron citizens, led by
mayor [Mihály] Thurner looked me up in Budapest, in the Nádor Barracks, as
their last refuge. – Help us, Sir! Western Hungary must be handed over – It is a
243 Ibid, p. 309.
244 More accurately: division commander.
102