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

16. He specifically stressed that the disarming of the rebels was an “obligation
of honor,” if they do not obey the order, they must be disarmed by force. After
the representation, the Cabinet unanimously accepted the Venice Protocol and
asked the heads of the Interior and Defense ministries to issue the necessary
instructions to execute the agreed terms. 467
The Austrian foreign affairs committee discussed the agreement after
Chancellor Schober’s report on October 19. Position taken by the group
declared that the stance of the Entente Powers has shifted since the signing of
the Trianon Treaty and seem not willing to execute the territorial decision in its
entirety that favored Austria. Hence, the committee authorized he government
to continue the negotiations begun in Venice. The decision was officially
brought to the attention of Foreign Minister Bánffy by the Austrian ambassador
in Budapest two days later. The Hungarian government’s response was that the
Venice Protocol charged the Entente generals to arrange the Sopron plebiscite;
hence, there is no need for direct meetings between the two countries. The
Council of Ambassadors in Paris ratified the Venice Protocol on October 27. 468
In return for the plebiscite in Sopron and surrounding area, the Hungarian
government completely renounced claims to Western Hungary, sealing the fate
of the territory and Lajta-Banate. Disarming the rebels, however, brought
countless problems.
This situation was exploited by the monarchists, the supporters of Charles
IV and launched a new attempt to seat the king on the Hungarian throne. In the
meantime, the ‘legitimists’ held a meeting on October 17 in Szombathely, in
the palace of Roman Catholic Bishop, Count János Mikes. In the preparation
for, and execution of, the second royal coup, significant roles were played by
István Rakovszky, president of the National Assembly, Lt.Gen. Pál Hegedűs,
Count Gyula Andrássy jr., the last foreign minister of the Monarchy, Ödön
Beniczky (1878-1931), one of the leading personalities of the Christian
National Unity Party (KNEP) and National Assembly representative for
Szombathely, Count Albert Apponyi, head of the Hungarian peace delegation
to Paris in 1920, Col. Antal Lehár and Maj. Gyula Ostenburg. The politicians
sent a letter inviting the former king back after a secret meeting in Sopron on
October 18, which a courier of Ostenburg took to Switzerland. Charles IV, and
his wife, Queen Zita, 469 landed at 4pm on October 20 in their Junker-13 plane
on the Vas County estate near Dénesfa of Count József Cziráky, High
Constable of Vas County and current Government Commissioner of Western
Hungary. 470 The plane was purchased in Switzerland by embassy secretary
467 MOL. K 27. Minisztertanácsi jegyzőkönyv, 1921. október 16.
468 Soós, 1971, op. cit., pp. 163–164.
469 Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma (1892–1989) married Charles IV on October 21,
1911. Brook-Stepherd, Gordon: Az utolsó Habsburg [The Last Habsburg], 1968. A
series appeared in the Hungarian press: Megszólal Zita, az utolsó királyné [Zita in her
own words, the last queen]. In: Magyar Hírlap, 1968, November 22 – December 5
(parts 1–13).
470 Katona, Imre: Az ún. királypuccs részletei egy könyv ürügyén [The details of a so-
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