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

y the Little Entente countries, either. 339 Shortly after the Cabinet meeting, Imre
Nádossy, national chief of police, issued instructions, to take effect
immediately, to all the counties’ vice-constables, districts and Budapest police
chiefs of police and gendarme headquarters, that he was altering his instructions
of August 29 regarding travel to Western Hungary. Henceforth, only the named
offices can issue the necessary travel documents, which they are permitted to
issue “only in very exceptional circumstances.” 340
On September 2 at 11:00, Sigray reported by telegram to the PM: “It is
certain that revolts are happening in many places we did not know to date. In
Vas County, for example, infantry and mounted bands of [count] Tamás
Erdődy and landowner Egan [Imre, 1881-1944] are wandering around the Írottkő
peak, all the way to the Styrian border.” Bethlen’s reply: “I have been
informed that the officers of Captain Ranzenberg [correctly Viktor
Ranzenberger] took part in the Pinkafő events (…) [who] still organize raids
even today, but only in the Austrian occupied ‘A’ zone. I ask that Ratzenberger
(sic!) be called on during the course of today and he be strictly instructed in my
name to immediately cease this (…) not to suffer any persons not belonging
there, and with all means at his disposal make it impossible that they or their
company officers create havoc in the ‘A’ zone.” 341 Bethlen finally disclosed to
Sigray that he will travel to Western Hungary the following day, or the day
after, to assure himself personally that his instructions are obeyed. This took
place on the following day. The prime minister held a review on the 3 rd in
Sopron, on the 4 th in Szombathely and along the line of zone ‘A’. He also came
to the conclusion that the future border should run along the line separating
zones ‘A’ and ‘B’, along Köpcsény – Zurány – Féltorony – Boldogasszony –
Fertőmeggyes – Ágfalva – Doborján – Felsőpulya – Léka – Városszalónak –
Pusztaszentmihály – Rábakeresztúr.
At 18:00 on the same day, Sigray reported the following to the prime
minister: the Austrian gendarmes and communists retreating from Királyfalva
(Szentgotthárd district) carried off with them the Roman Catholic parish priest,
József Horváth. “They assaulted him most brutally, beating him bloody. (…)
The Entente military mission in Szentgotthárd notified [the] chief district
magistrate that, through their intervention, the parish priest has been freed 5
hours after his capture [but] is still in Fölöstöm [Fürstenfeld] today.” 342 Count
Sigray also reported to PM Bethlen late that night at 22:50 that a firefight took
place between the rebels and the Austrian gendarmes in the outskirts of
Pörgölény (Pilgersdorf) – in the northernmost part of Vas County, in the
Kőszeg district. Its outcome was “losses on both sides, among them the capture
of the landowner Imre Egan by the Austrian gendarmes.” 343 Egan was wounded
339 MOL. K 27. Minisztertanácsi jegyzőkönyv, 1921. szeptember 2.
340 MOL. K 26. 1388. csomó. 1920–„H” tétel, p. 339.
341 Ibid, pp. 340-341.
342 Ibid, p. 349.
343 Ibid, p. 355.
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