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

the subject matter and content of the agreement on the day of its signing. 184
Diplomatically, politically and even militarily, the Renner-Beneš agreement
was clearly aimed against Hungary, no matter how vehemently the Chancellor
denied it, while only claiming good relations between Czechoslovakia and
Austria. Beneš simply stated that a treaty of friendship and defense was signed.
The agreement made possible, in the case of a potential Hungarian-Austrian
war, for Czechoslovakia to use Austria’s roads and rails to marshal its forces
against Hungary.
The Czechoslovak-Austria agreement threatened Hungary with complete
military encirclement and political isolation, which was the main goal of Beneš,
since cooperation between Czechoslovakia, Romania and the South Slav
country had essentially been finalized. Even if the series of agreements between
the Little Entente countries was only finalized six months later, on August 23,
1920, between the South Slavs and Czechoslovakia. With regard to the Renner-
Beneš pact, the Entente Powers, through the so-called Inter-Allied Military
Mission, were forced to assert that they would not permit transit rights to
Czechoslovak troops through Austria to occupy Western Hungary as that falls
exclusively under Entente jurisdiction. 185 In the meantime, Austria also
achieved for the Council of Ambassadors to send an Inter-Allied Military
Mission to Sopron, to oversee the western Hungarian authorities. The presiding
president of the Inter-Allied Military Mission in Budapest, British General
George Gorton, notified, and at the same time asked, Hungarian Prime Minister
Károly Huszár (1882–1941) on January 13, 1920: “… you would please inform
the civil and military authorities of Moson, Sopron and Vas Counties of the
arrival of this Mission and its purpose, and please instruct them to offer all
assistance to the Mission.” 186 The Peace Conference continued to favor Austria,
more and more obviously. Austrian diplomacy achieved that Vienna could send
two delegates to the Entente Mission to Sopron, based on a decision by the
Council of Ambassadors on February 17. The president of the Council sent a
note the following day to the Hungarian delegation in which the Council,
“…led by thoughts of impartiality (…) has decided to authorize the Austrian
government to send two representatives to the Mission active in the western
counties of Hungary.” 187
The Hungarian government sent a diplomatic note on February 14, 1920 to
Chancellor Renner in which it expressed that Austrian territorial claims have
upset the traditional good relations and cooperation between the two countries.
It asked for a reinstatement of cordial relations, as well as approval of the
setting of a plebiscite since – according to all his public statements – that was
the method Austria meant to use to obtain Western Hungary. The Hungarian
government – attempting to improve its position at the peace talks – offered a
184 Ormos, 1990, op. cit., p. 44.
185 Soós, 1971, op. cit., pp. 59–60.
186 MOL. K 26. 1234. csomó. 1920–XXII–525. szám, 6. old.
187 Ibid, 1920–XXII–1703. szám, 1. old.
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