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

Nagymarton but his authority extended over very little territory, only those
settlements which the Austrian gendarmes already occupy. 324 Due to the
previously mentioned clashes, Davy was forced to instruct that the staff of the
Austrian provincial government for Western Hungary should remain in Wiener
Neustadt. And the special train, standing by to take them to Sopron on the 29 th
should, instead, transport 200 gendarmes to Ágfalva.
Count Sigray also made a report to the PM by telegraph at 10:30 on the
same day regarding the events of the previous day, adding new information.
Firstly, regarding the Entente’s report “whose passage that armed men continue
to arrive does not square with reality because the volunteers are already
prevented in Budapest from travelling any further.” Ostenburg has already
arrested a number of people in Sopron, cleansed the city “of dubious person
who came here. (…) …as much as our force permits, we will also begin to clear
the immediate neighborhood of Sopron from armed irresponsible elements. (…)
The arrival of Gömbös was very good from the perspective that he was able to
clear up the situation in large strokes. (…) Héjjas did not travel with him but,
afraid of being arrested, he left the city during the night.” Sigray also reported
that he received telegrams from numerous Sopron and Vas county settlements
with the request to provide safeguard against Austrian forces flooding in and
“the Hungarian gendarmes return to the evacuated western [meaning ‘A’-J.B.]
zone. This I will inform the Entente Mission but the names of the settlements I
can not reveal for fear of reprisals because, in many places, the Austrians are
brutally collecting hostages, which clearly proves that they also know that the
population is taking an active part in the resistance.” 325 The Entente Mission’s
information that yesterday two boxcars of arms arrived at the Sopron station
turned out to be false, which a British and an Italian officer verified. According
to a telegraph report sent to the PM at 18:00 on August 31 from Sopron, Maj.
Ostenburg expelled more than 500 people from the city. 326
Gyula Gömbös, sent by the prime minister to Sopron on August 29, was
able, after numerous meetings, to clarify part of the situation. The two leading
members of the already mentioned Military Committee, István Friedrich and
Nándor Urmánczy, issued a three-point proclamation on August 31at Balf.
“Since the Royal Hungarian Government has assumed the defense of Western
Hungary, we, who only began our action in defense of the territorial unity of
our thousand-year country, declare that we disband our free-troops and cease
further engagements.” 327 This, however, they were only willing to do if the
government fulfills certain conditions. They were to receive 1.8 million
Kroners to cover the costs of demobilization and travel home of the volunteers,
as well as the value of the military equipment handed over to the army. As well,
free telephone and telegraph usage to notify their organizations to stop arming
324 Ibid, p. 314.
325 Ibid, pp. 307, 309.
326 Ibid, p. 328.
327 Ibid, p. 321.
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