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

The Cabinet finally decided to suspend temporarily the evacuation of Western
Hungary areas East of zone “A”. 308 A Hungarian memorandum to this effect
was handed to the Budapest and Sopron Entente Missions later the same day.
At noon, after the Cabinet meeting, PM Bethlen sent instructions by
telegram to Chief Government Commissioner Sigray in Sopron. “Since the
Cabinet decided this morning to temporarily suspend evacuation of the area
East of line ‘A’ mentioned in paragraph 10 of the handover plan, I ask that the
Entente military Mission in Sopron be officially notified at 4pm of this decision
of the Royal Hungarian Government and, after said notification has been done,
all necessary orders be issued to have the government’s decision carried out.
Furthermore, I ask that this order be kept confidential until 4pm, except for the
appropriate officers on a need to know basis. Until that time, it is to be treated
as strictly confidential. I again ask that every possible step be taken to end
immediately the so-called Friedrich actions, and make their continuation
impossible. This I ask all the more because this decision would undermine the
government’s diplomatic prospects.” 309 After the Cabinet’s decision, evacuation
along the ‘A’ line was stopped by the gendarmes and army units, begun the
previous day. Around this time, noonish on the 28 th , the 2 nd Gendarme Reserve
Battalion arrived from Kismarton in Sopron. The city streets were soon covered
by the posters of Maj. Gyula Ostenburg, proclaiming that he, by the order of
Antal Sigray, has assumed command of the city. He also gave notice: “By my
order, every non-Sopron resident male staying here is to report to barrack 48
between 18:00 hours today and 18:00 hours of Aug. 29. Anyone found not to
have done so will be expelled from the city.” 310 At the same time, a part of the
battalion took up positions not in the city but at the junction of the ‘A’ and ‘B’
lines, west of the Ágfalva – Sopron – Fertőrákos sector.
Still on August 28, at 7:30pm, Foreign Minister Bánffy notified Count
Sigray by telegram of his instruction: “I expect the strictest measures for
maintaining order, especially since we have pushed to the utmost extent with
the government’s broadcast decisions.” 311 Sigray then reported that the units of
Maj. Ostenburg will rid not only Sopron but its surrounding area of all
“undesirable outsiders” by the evening of the following day. He also reported
that during the afternoon, northwest of Sopron on the far side of line ‘A’, a unit
of alleged rebels attacked the Austrian gendarmes and a firefight of several
hours ensued. While it was going on, the future provincial head of Burgenland
province, Robert Davy, drove by in an automobile, accompanied by a British
and an Italian officer and was detained by the rebels. “As soon as I received
word, despite the incident taking place past our front line, I ordered Ostenburg
to free them immediately, which was done. The rebels dispersed and the car
was able to continue on its way. I immediately reported it to the generals and
308 MOL. K 27. Minisztertanácsi jegyzőkönyvek, 1921. augusztus 28.
309 MOL. K 26. 1388. csomó. 1920–„H”-tétel, p. 224.
310 Ibid, large poster without page number.
311 Ibid, p. 225.
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