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

secessionist intent of these people also ceased until today village after village
states their intention to remain as part of Hungary. Lastly, the Social-
Democratic Party joined those demanding annexation, whereas the delegation
to the Peace Conference only asked for plebiscites. Austria was awarded the
area without one. This was the most visible and greatest achievement of the
Austrian delegation, and why the Austrian government and ruling party are so
staunchly behind it.” 118 The Austrian delegation to Paris had prepared plans for
the plebiscite it wanted to conduct in Western Hungary. 119
The more serious Austrian politicians were worried because this gift of a
territory carried a heavy economic burden. As well, it caused growing anti-
Austrian sentiment in Hungary, which sacrificed a lot during the centuries for
the territory about to be annexed. Kings and nobles heaped rights and privileges
on this area, where even Ruszt, pop. 1,000, could rise to be a free royal town.
The submission finally pointed out: “Should Hungary suffer this fate because,
in 1848, the western powers turned their back on the Freedom Revolt and She,
falling, was forced after a decade and a half of absolutism and slavery to come
to terms with Austria and Tsarism, to save as much of its freedom as possible?
But, in essence, it remained dependent on Austria, which restricted its
industries and fed its own industries from Hungarian agricultural products, until
those industries were highly developed and, in this relationship of dependency,
was forced to follow Austria into the world war. /The loss of Western Hungary
would be an historical injustice toward Hungary. The claims of German Austria
cannot be established either historically, or geographically, or economically.
Austria itself realizes this and the question for it is one of prestige, while for
Hungary, the loss of its most developed industrial and commercial zone would
be catastrophic./ Based on these arguments, we ask the Supreme Council to
alter its decision in the Austrian treaty and leave this area for Hungary or, if it
wishes to do so, order and execute a fair plebiscite in the region.” 120
The population of the Western Hungary area claimed by Austria sent an
undated memorandum 121 to the Hungarian delegation to the Peace Conference,
which it also handed to the Supreme Council. The signatories claimed to be
“the official representatives of the Hungarian, German and Slav-language
population,” first and foremost, because “it is our duty to protest against that in
all the decisions up to now, no opportunity has been given to nearly half a
million people, who worked in brotherly agreement for centuries, to express
their will in this question. This is a fact, which, in our opinion, is in opposition
to the well-known principles of President Wilson and the right of selfdetermination
and is not in harmony with the Entente’s intentions, which tries
to consider the question of political and linguistic borders with the cooperation
118 Ibid. (Bolding mine–J.B.)
119 Nagy, Iván, 1937, op. cit., pp. 57-77.
120 A magyar béketárgyalások, op. cit., vol. I, p.459.
121 Az Ausztria által igényelt terület magyar lakosságának emlékirata. XV. jegyzék, 4.
melléklet. 470–472. old.
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