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

Thus, it is clearly evident that the saving of Sopron is not attributable to the
government but thanks to the local authorities, patriotic population and the
resistance of the rebels! The government had no merit in the deed! And the
responsibility for losing the rest of Western Hungary rests with it!” 449
Further proof from an extant document, according to which another ten
Moson County villages (Barátudvar, Boldogasszony, Féltorony, Ilmic,
Mosonbánfalva, Mosonszentandrás, Mosontarcsa, Mosontétény, Pomogy and
Valla), mainly German populated, and six more in the vicinity of Sopron
(Cinfalva, Fertőmeggyes, Kelénpatak, Somfalva, Sopronkeresztúr and Zárány),
three German and three Croat speaking settlements, would also have been
included in the plebiscite area. The latter six, similar to Kópháza, would almost
certainly have voted to remain with Hungary. They were excluded from the
area covered by the plebiscite because, according to Ernő Träger, the Foreign
Minister did not involve appropriate experts in drawing up the boundaries. 450
Lajos Krug, a participant in the insurrection, bitterly remarked: “It is a firm
fact that the first, unforgivable blunder was made by Foreign Minister Count
Bánffy, when he made statements to the effect of being willing to give up parts
of the territory of Western Hungary. First, Moson County came under the
downward bidding, then slowly the energetic Hungarian stance shriveled to
nothing! (…) the events of August [1921] completely overshadowed Count
Bánffy until, finally, only the immediate surrounding area of Sopron was
discussed behind the scenes.” 451
A total of 24 Hungarian rebels and one gendarme lost their lives in the
Western Hungarian insurrection between August 28 and November 4, 1921.
They gave their lives for their country against the predatory, territory-hungry
invading forces of Austrian, for land that was Hungarian for a thousand years,
for the city of Sopron and the 18 settlements that were, ultimately, retained.
Their sacrifice was not in vain; they all deserve the eternal thanks of a grateful
nation.
Aside from those who fell in battle, commander Prónay had László Sátori,
student of the Magyaróvár academy and reservist officer, Lt. Bakonyi and
Cadet Bokor shot in Felsőpulya on September 13. 452 The latter two were
executed by the commander for killing and robbing local Jews during the
insurrection. In his memoirs, Prónay only remarks with contempt on one of his
soldiers, a Jewish officer from his former White unit. Not for his origins but for
his inhumane acts of reprisal. 453 Sátori and his associates were brought up in
front of a court martial at the behest of Miklós Budaházy, commander of the 3 rd
449
Ibid, p. 17.
450
Fogarassy, László: A soproni népszavazás [The Sopron plebiscite]. In: Soproni
Szemle, 1971, issue 4, pp 335-336.
451
Krug, 1930, op. cit., p. 30.
452
Missuray-Krúg, 1935, pp. 204–214.
453
Kovács, Tamás: Horthy és a zsidók. Sommás ítéletek, bonyolult valóság [Horthy and
the Jews. Summary verdicts, complex reality.]. In: Nagy Magyarország, year II, issue 1,
2010, February, pp. 77–78.
177