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

István Széchenyi (1791-1860) and the Hungarian populated Nagycenk 116 to
Austria. In the crypt under the Széchenyi chapel, the count – the “greatest
Hungarian,” according to Lajos Kossuth (1802-1894) – rests. Nagycenk only
returned to Hungary later, after the Sopron plebiscite.
After stating the previous points, the submission of the Hungarian
delegation emphasized that the territorial demand would not represent an easing
of the situation for Austria but rather a large burden. First of all, in the “German
Western Hungary area” there was a large shortfall of produce, especially grains,
potatoes and feed grains. The situation is reflected in the buying permits issued
for seed grains for 1918, when, for example, the two German-populated
districts of Vas County had more seeds allocated by the Hungarian government
than the rest of the county. “The allocated grains for the past year in the
Hungarian districts, per capita, was 1/20 of a metric centner [a metric centner
= 100kg. or 220 lbs.-ed.], while in the German districts it was 1/3 m/c. The
Hungarian districts showed a greater surplus vs. the German districts (the
Hungarian districts of Vas County showed a surplus of 389,000 m/c of wheat,
15,800 m/c of feed grains, 160,000 m/c of potatoes). This surplus, which goes to
Austria, in particular Vienna. The situation is the same in Sopron and Moson
counties, too. The German [populated] parts do not live off the growing of
these products and foodstuffs but from their trans-shipment. The result of
annexation to Austria will have the result that Austria will gain nothing but
these areas, especially the city of Sopron and the villages along the southerly
railway line – acting as agents between the producing Hungarian areas and the
consuming Austrian market for grains, fruits, beef and meats – will go
bankrupt.” 117
Why did Austria lay claim to the annexation of Western Hungary with such
easily refutable historical claims and economic reasoning, when they failed to
stand up to scrutiny? The answer is simple: because the issue was a question for
the Austrian parties and their ability to mobilize support, especially for the
German National Party, “which strove to unite all Germans. The ethnic
argument they raised did not stand up, because the Western Hungary Germans
were neither Hienc, nor Styrians; in their songs, traditions and language, we
find traces of a mix of French (Frankish) and Flemish. They differ from their
immediate neighbors, in fact, we can find elements of Hungarian in their
language and traditions. These people were always loyal to their Hungarian
country, never exhibiting irredentist tendencies until the outbreak of
Bolshevism in Hungary. It was then that the deeply Catholic people wanted to
secede and the annexation to Austria became a strong plank in the program of
the Austrian socialist party. When Hungarian Bolshevism ceased, the
116 According to the 1910 census, Nagycenk had a population of 1,740. Of that 1,625
were Hungarian (93.4%), 97 Germans (5.6%) and 7 Croats. In: Magyarország
Közigazgatási Atlasza 1914. P. 138.
117 A magyar béketárgyalások [The Hungarian peace talks]. Vol. I, p 459. (Bolding
mine–J.B.)
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