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

Austria – who were ineligible to vote, e.g.- people who were temporarily
staying in Sopron or have had some connection in the past to the plebiscite
area. The Austrian agents went from house to house, checking the accuracy of
the lists, reviewing the referendum rolls. A separate committee was formed to
review the new data, which, due to the shortage of time, was only able to
review and correct only a tenth of the lists by December 13 – according to
Victor Miltschinsky, Austrian referendum commissioner. 496 “The number of
electoral irregularities could not have been great since the Austrians began
checking the voter lists already on December 4 and were joined by Entente
officers on December 6.” 497
In the situation that developed, there was, indeed, a small amount of
uncertainty and the Austrian government chose attack as the best defense. It
urged the delay of the referendum until December 18 with the Council of
Ambassadors in Paris, the Entente countries’ ambassadors in Vienna, and the
French and Italian governments. It based the request on the fact that Hungarian
security forces left the area on the 12 th , that the electoral rolls were forged, and
that the plebiscite would not take place in a free and unbiased atmosphere. The
Council of Ambassadors assented to the extent that it transferred the decision to
the Entente generals in Sopron. They, in turn, made the delay contingent on the
written agreement to the delay of the Hungarian government and PM Bethlen.
The Hungarian government rejected the delay, saying it could make no more
concessions to Austria. This view was also supported by the Entente
ambassadors in Budapest. On the day of the withdrawal of Hungarian security
forces, the 12 th , the Austrian government notified the Entente generals in
Sopron: it would take no part in the plebiscite starting on the 14 th , and
instructed its representatives to leave Sopron. On the evening of the same day,
its decision was communicated to the Entente ambassadors in Vienna, as well
as its decision not to recognize the result of the people’s will.
The Sopron plebiscite, compelled by the Western Hungary insurrection
begun on August 28, 1921 and the proclamation by Pál Prónay of an
independent state of Lajta-Banate on October 4, ended favorably for Hungary.
In his report afterwards, Frigyes Villani grasped the substance of it: “The
logical progress of events could lead to no other solution than that Sopron was
to stay with Hungary. From the moment that the Hungarians defied the totally
authorized entrance of the Austrians in August of 1921, and the Allied powers
omitted, from the very first days, to take military action to back up the terms of
the peace agreement, Sopron could be said to be lost to Austria.” 498
The plebiscite was held on December 14 in Sopron and on December 16 in
the surrounding eight villages, under the strict supervision of the Entente
representatives. The number of eligible voters was 27,069, the majority of
496 Miltschinsky, Victor: Das Verbrechen von Ödenburg [The crime perpetrated on
Sopron]. Wien, 1922, pp. 61–79.
497 Ormos, 1990, op. cit., p. 195.
498 Villani, 1923, op. cit., pp. 30–31.
193