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

external political education, raising the level of Hungarian nationalistic
feelings, as well as to try and win over the former ethnic minorities. Numerous
bodies, associations, benevolent societies joined the League, until it had a
membership of 1 million. Expert committees were created, publications were
distributed in the Entente countries (in French and English) supporting the
political, economic and cultural single entity of Hungary. For a while in 1919,
the League operated illegally, then, after the publication of the terms of the
peace treaty and its signing at Trianon, the League’s activities increased and
became an umbrella organization for several irredentist movements. 199
The delegates of the League from Szombathely, Mosonmagyaróvár and
Sopron sent reports, drawing attention to the increasing Austrian influence
toward secession, the living conditions of the population and the results of the
loyalty oaths being taken for Hungary. As an example, the February 27 report
noted that: the February 15 public meeting in the village of Borostyánkő, “at
which the villages of Edeháza, Háromsátor, Mencsér and Újvörösvágás were
represented in large numbers, a four-point resolution was accepted amidst great
enthusiasm.” The second point read: “We protest against any means of forcible
annexation to Austria and demand a plebiscite to allow everyone to freely
express their opinion to decide which country they want to be a part of.” A
public meeting the same day in Rohonc, attended by 2,500 men, unanimously
announced that they wished to add their names “to the list, part of a
memorandum handed to the head of the Entente Mission visiting Western
Hungary, supporting the plebiscite, as they are not willing to separate from
Hungary because they are Germans loyal to Hungary.” 200 [N.B.: Germans, not
Austrians—J.B.]
Over the next two days, February 16 and 17, meetings held in the villages of
Alsószénégető, Felsőszénégető, Gyöngyösfő, Vágod, Barátmajor, Hármasfalu,
Kulcsárfalva, Rumpód, Léka, Hosszúszeghuta, Hámortó, Hosszúszeg, Szabar,
Óhodász, Csajta, Incéd and Németgyirót unanimously declared that “under no
condition would they allow themselves to be transferred to Austria and protest
199 As part of the obligations in the peace decree, the Hungarian government, pro forma,
abolished the irredentist associations. After the Interior Ministry’s directive took effect
on July 5, 1921, the League merged into the Hungarian National Association, which
assumed the assets of the League, its associates and its considerable amount of publicity
materials. Zeidler, Miklós: A revíziós gondolat [The idea of revision]. Budapest, 2001.
200 MOL. K 26. 1920. csomó. 1920–XLII–2035. szám, p. 33. Alongside the League, the
Western Hungary League (WHL), formed in Budapest on December 7, 1919, set as its
goal the retention of the to-be annexed parts of Moson, Sopron and Vas counties. It
elected Gusztáv Thirring (1861-1941), statistician, demographer, as its president. The
three counties each had a head representative, as well as district ones, who began
regular in January 1920, monthly local summary reports. The WHL worked closely
with the League, taking active part in all its activities. Later, it merged into the League,
quietly ceasing independent operation in September of 1922. Sarkady, Sándor, ifj./jr: A
Nyugat-Magyarországi Liga. Egy területvédő szervezet tevékenysége 1919–1922
között [The Western Hungary League. ]In: Soproni Szemle, 2001, issue 1, pp. 34-57.
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