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

evening. 348
Still back on the 4 th , it was the day that an 18-man patrol of the student
Officer Company that joined Ostenburg’s battalion saw action. During the
night, they rained gunfire on the settlements of Kismarton and Kishőflány. On
the following evening, another unit carried out a raid up to the former, historic
border, to Lajtaújfalu. On their return, they exchanged fire with the Austrian
gendarmes near the village of Kelénpatak. 349
The chief of the Szombathely district investigation group, Sándor Swoboda,
sent a report to the Interior Ministry at 9:00 on September 5, in which he
reported heavy fighting in the dawn hours around Gyanafalva, where Austrian
losses amounted to 30 dead, the rebels 7; the number of wounded was
unknown. During the fighting, the Hungarians captured an Austrian
machinegun, which they immediately turned against the occupiers. In the
firefight at Kelen-patak [more accurately the village of Kelénpatak near
Sopron-J.B.] between Austrian Communist elements and rebels, several people
were killed or were wounded. Similarly, in neighboring Cinfalva, where the
rebels threw bombs on the houses where Austrians were billeted. The Austrians
fled. 350 Villani also reported on September 5 from Sopron to the PM, in which
he stated that Robert Davy, Austrian governor of Burgenland, spent several
hours today in Sopron, accompanied by an Austrian colonel. The colonel stayed
behind with the task of acting as liaison between the generals’ Entente Mission
[Inter-Allied Military Mission-J.B.] and the Austrian governing committee now
in Nagymarton (Mattersburg). Deputy Chief Government Commissioner
Villani signed this report as “Foreign Ministerial Adviser.” 351
The reasons for this go back a week. As we have written, the Hungarian
Cabinet suspended the evacuation of areas of Western Hungary East of the ‘A’
zone line at their session held on August 28. At the instruction of Prime
Minister Bethlen, Chief Government Commissioner Sigray reported this to the
Entente generals at 16:00, who replied that they will report this turn of events to
the Council of Ambassadors in Paris. Next, they issued instructions to order a
halt to Austria’s advance at the ‘A’ line. Finally, they took the position that
Sigray and his deputy, Villani, were primarily responsible for the eruption of
the rebellion. Hence, they were not willing to hold talks with either. In fact, the
committee of generals officially broke off contact with Count Sigray, with
whom British general George Gorton maintained repeated contact – as a private
person. In fact, he made it known to Sigray not to be concerned of a united
Czechoslovak and Serb military intervention due to the Western Hungary
events because the Entente Powers will not give their consent to Prague and
Belgrade. 352
348 Ibid, pp. 365–366, 376, 264, 390.
349 Krug, 1930, op. cit., pp. 55–56.
350 MOL. K 26. 1264. csomó. 1921–XLII. tétel, p. 10.
351 Ibid, 1388. csomó. 1922–„H” tétel, p. 370.
352 Fogarassy, 1972, op. cit., p. 32.
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