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

Austria,” and Zoltán Palotás, “The Austrian-Hungarian border drawn in
Trianon – we repeat – is ethnically correct. It is the only correct and impartial
border sector of Trianon.” 132
The previous positions simply do not cover the reality. In fact, it represents
the continuation of the earlier Habsburg-friendly, Austrian-leaning, as well as
the worker movement / communist, point of view. Contrary to the above,
historiography in the spirit and cause of Hungary – of whatever medium:
newspaper articles, monographs or published statistics – must rest on historic
truths and facts, not nationalism! The names and concepts of Burgenland,
Slovakia, etc. should all be used in the times they existed, not applied centuries
back, slavishly accepting the Austrian, Slovak, Romanian, and Serb viewpoints.
Finally, we must reiterate: there was no hint of the application of the ethnic
principle with regard to Western Hungary. Austria, as we have stated, received
what was to become Burgenland in exchange for the loss of South Tyrol! One
of the territorial conditions of Italy entering the war in 1915 was the annexation
of South Tyrol (as well as Trient, Trieste, Gorizia, Gradisca, Istria and
Dalmatia) up to the strategic Brenner Pass, the most important crossing point as
far back as the Roman legions and Germanic tribes. The Italian government
received assurance from the Entente Powers in a secret treaty, signed in London
on April 26, 1915. Having received an official pledge, Italy declared war on the
Austro-Hungarian Monarchy on May 23. As previously noted, following the
November 3, 1918 armistice of Padua, Italian troops marched unopposed into
the promised southern part of Tyrol Province (area: 13,613 km 2 , population at
the time: 215,000 Germans, 16,000 Italians). The reason was that in the 24hours
preceding the November 4 effective date of the armistice, the Austrian
forces were to suspend military activities, i.e.- they could offer no resistance
against the Italian army, while the Italians could use their weapons.
Thus, Austria, using clever behind-the-scenes diplomacy, was able to attain
it territorial ambitions at the Peace Conference to the detriment of the
Hungarian Kingdom, its ally and partner-country. It was awarded a strip of
Western Hungary, a part of the claimed Westungarn. It only remained to
occupy it militarily, as detailed in the final treaty terms handed over on July 20,
1919 at Saint-Germain. As it soon became apparent, this was the most difficult
task for the Vienna government. In the last days of July, the population of
Western Hungary in the areas assigned for transfer to Austria held numerous
demonstrations against the territorial decision by the Entente Powers. The
Austrian delegation, led by Chancellor Renner, handed back their written reply
to the peace treaty in Paris on August 6. In it, they expressed their thanks for
132 Fogarassy, László: A nyugat-magyarországi kérdés katonai története. II. rész. 1921.
augusztus – szeptember [The military history of the Western Hungarian question. Part
II, Aug.-Sept., 1921]. In: Soproni Szemle, 1972, issue 1, p. 23; Marosi, Endre:
Magyarok Burgenlandban [Hungarians in Burgenland]. In: Unio. 1989, August, pp. 68-
69; Palotás, Zoltán: A trianoni határok [The Trianon borders]. Budapest, 1990, p. 51.
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