On this day, exactly a 100 years ago two very disgruntled Hungairan representatives signed
a peace treaty at the Grand Trianon Palace in Versailles, officially ending the Great
War for Hungary.
Now to explain the treaty of Trianon dealing with Hungary and its brother the Treaty of
Saint-Germain dealing with Austria, we have to understand the very complicated state of
Austria and Hungary at the end of the Great War.
The end of the Great War for Austria-Hungary was anything but orderly, the decentralization
of control across the entire empire combined with food shortages bordering on a famine
resulted in, mutenies, revolutions, counter revolutions, wars, and new nationstates.
It was a time of ideological clashes and political maneuvering by big and small players alike.
So what exactly happened.
Well a lot actually happened in a short amount of time, so to try to explain it in a hopefully
comprehensive way I am going to try to give you an Austro-Hungarian centric chronological
overview of the major events at the end of the Great War.
By the time of October 1918 it became clear to everyone in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
that the war is going to be over soon and therefore any existent imperial control within
the country pretty much fell apart.
This meant many local councils started acting as independent provisional governments signaling
the breakup of Austria-Hungary.
5-8th of October 1918 high ranking people of society and politicians of the South Slavs
in Austria Hungary declared the People’s Council a representative council of all South
Slavic people in Austria Hungary.
At this point this council is still divided amongst the supporters of an Austro-Hungarian
federation or complete succession.
7th of October 1918, the regency Council of the German Puppet Polish state, which was
established a year prior, seeing that the central powers were growing weaker, announced
its intention of creating an independent Poland.
(And started centralizing it’s power)
13th of October 1918, enlight of the intentions of making an independent Polish state the
National Organization of Zakopane is formed and starts making preparations for succession.
14th of October, Romanians in Bukovina form an Executive Committee that starts the process
of incorporating bukovina into Romania.
This is actively protested by Ukranians living in northern Bukovina.
16th of October 1918, Emperor Charles tries to save the crumbling Empire by an Imperial
Manifesto proclaiming the formation of a federal state with autonomous rights to all minorities.
Even though this was embraced by some people like the many aforementioned federation supporters
in the South Slavic People’s Council, it was also hated by the more conservative German
Austrians and specially Hungarians.
Plus it was too late in the war as the allies already recognized the independence of Czechoslovakia
in the summer of 1918 and on top of that they had also decided by this point that they won't
allow any continuation of Habsburg rule in Central Europe.
18th of October, Romanians in Transylvania declare the independence of Transylvania and
start the gradual process of uniting with Romania.
This is actively opposed by Transilvanian Hungarians and also Germans however the german
speaking population of Transylvania later acquiesces to uniting with Romania.
21st of October, the remaining 208 German speaking delegates of the Austrian Imperial
Council convene; other delegates of the Empire’s minorities no longer recognized the Imperial
Council.
Seeing the empire dissolving to its ethnic components the Council established the "Provisional
National Assembly of German-Austria".
23rd of October, the Second Polish republic is officially declared and starts trying to
consolidate its power.
24th of October, the Hungarian Government, seeing that basically the entire kingdom was
falling apart, recalls all of its troops from the front lines.
25th of October, the Hungarian Social Democratic Party, the Liberal Left Party and the Bourgeois
Radical Party form the Hungarian National Council headed by Mihály Károlyi which among
other things calls for the termination of the war, the Independence from Vienna, the
recognition of minority rights, universal suffrage, etc.
28th of October, Austria-Hungary officially starts pursuing armistice talks.
That same day the South Slavic Council sends a peace note to America without the Austro-Hunagrian
consent meaning they were now acting as an independent entity.
The Viceroy of Croatia reports this to the Emperor who simply replies "Do as you please.".
Now those are the words of a man who is watching his Empire crumble before him.
That same day independence of Czechia is declared in Prague.
And also that same day the Polish Liquidation Committee (that sounds like something from
WW2, anyways) was created, its main goal was to hold order in Austrian Galicia before the
Polish Second Republic was able to centralize all the various autonomous Polish territories.
29th of October, the South Slavic People’s Council proclaims the formation of the State
of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and also the Serbs of Vojvodina proclaim their own independence.
That same day Czechoslovakia is declared by both Czech and Slovak representatives.
30th of October, Slovaks declare independence of Slovakia in Martin.
Even though a day before then they declared the creation of Czechoslovakia, I don’t
know I guess they were trying to tie up lose ends.
Also on this day even though acting as an independent entity since the 13th of October
the National Organization of Zakopane officially succedes, creating the Republic of Zakopane,
although they will later relinquish power to te Polish Liquidation Committee.
Also on this day both Poles and Czechs living in Těšín Silesia establish separate councils
and declare the area under the control of the new Czechoslovakia or Poland respectively.
A couple of days later they will come to a tenues demarcation agreement that will certainly
not cause any problems later.
31st of October, the many disgruntled and now disbanded Hungarian soldiers that have
returned home from the front start the Aster Revolution in Budapest led by Károlyi.
The revolution is successful and that same day Charles the 4th of Hungary has no choice
but to accept Károlyi as the new prime minister of Hungary who then promptly dissolves the
Austro-Hunagrian union proclaiming the independence of Hungary.
However even though now independent Károlyi still wants Hungary to Remain a kingdom.
This same day the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs start pursuing unification talks
with the kingdom of Serbia and Montenegro, these are however divisive because even though
some Sloven and Croat politicians are for it others want to establish the way the new
Yugoslav kingdom is going to be governed before agreeing to a unification, while others like
Stjepan Radić are completely against the unification.
Also this same day or 2 days later, sources are unclear, the Hungarians living in Banat
declare the creation of the Banat Republic.
This republic is actively opposed by the Romanian and Serbian populations living in Banat.
1st of November 1918, The West Ukrainian People's Republic is declared.
A state which had a majority of Ukranians but a very sizable minority of Poles on top
of that it claimed the majority Ukranian lands in Bukovina, therefore right after its succession
it became entangled in a conflict with the new Polish Republic and Romanian.
2nd of November 1918, Károlyi’s new Hungarian government under the Woodrow Wilson's demand
of pacifism disarms the Hungarian military apart from a couple of troops.
Károlyi was hoping that this preemptive disarmament will show the allies that Hungary is willing
to cooperate and therefore will receive a milder peace deal.
On the same day unbenounced to the Austro-Hunagrian armistice negotiations going on Károlyi starts
his own armistice negotiations with the allied generals in Belgrade.
3rd of November, Austria-Hungary signs an armistice officially effective a day later.
Among other things the Villa Giusti armistice designates an Italian occupation zone, coordinates
the dismantle and division of the imperial navy, sets up a ceasefire on all Austro-Hungarian
fronts and premites all allied armies to take control of any point within Austria-Hungary
that they deem strategically important.
4th of November, Italian troops to the protest of the self proclaimed State of Slovenes,
Croats and Serbs start occupying Istria, Dalmatia and southern Austria as lined out by the Villa
Giusti armistice.
5th of November, the allied officers in Belgrade negotiating with Hungary only now learn of
the Villa Giusti armistice and ask Paris whether this also applies to the new state of Hungary
and if they should continue armistice talks with Károlyi.
The reply says the Villa Giusti armistice does apply to the new state of Hungary but
continue the armistice negotiations anyways.
This was most likely because the allies were hoping for a more favorable (to them) armistice
deal with Hungary over what they got with the Villa Giusti armistice.
Ironically Károlyi also continued with the Belgrade armistice negotiations because he
was hoping to get a more favorable armistice deal for Hungary.
7th of November, Károlyi and his delegates reach an armistice agreement with the allied
generals in Belgrade.
I will try to give an oversimplified view of the armistice talks and the main points
discussed in it.
Károlyi’s main points during the armistice negotiations are as follows.
Hungary was under Austrian control at the start of the war and therefore the Great War
shouldn’t be blamed on the now new and independent Hungary.
Károlyi’s government will give every minority within Hungary and I quote “maximum autonomy”
which in their eyes satisfies Wilson's point of self determination.
The post war occupation of Hungary should be done exclusively by French, British and
American troops as the Hungarians fear if Romanian or Czechoslovak troops enter Hungary
they will never leave and would raid the land.
Hungary should retain the right of administering its own land even if under allied occupation
(With Croatia and Slovenia being exempt from this).
Czechoslovakia is to be forced by the allies to allow coal shipments from Germany into
Hungary as Hungary has no coal supplies of its own, and winter was coming.
The first point was quickly shot down by the allies who pointed out that Hungary with Austria
had equal say within the Austro-Hunagrian system and therefore should be equally responsible
for the war no matter if a new revolutionary government was now in power.
The second point wasn’t necessarily refused by the allies but they did already agree during
the war to give almost all minority populated areas of Hungary to their respective nations
hence it was mute.
The third point was also refused.
The 4th point was allowed and Hungary under the Belgrade armistice was to retain administrative
control over all of its land even if under allied occupation.
The 5th point was also allowed.
The treaty also talked about all kinds of other stuff like the specifics of reparation
quatas, demilitarization, prisoners of war, demarcation lines, etc. but we don’t have
time to get into that.
As it stands Károlyi is pretty happy with the treaty as even though not everything went
their way they still will be allowed to retain administrative rights over the whole of Hungary
(excluding Slovenia and Croatia), which was a victory for them.
However the treaty still needs to be ratified by both the Hungarian parliament in Budapest
and the allies in Paris so it is not official yet.
9th of November, Romania reenters the Great War renouncing the Peace Treaty of Bucharest,
it mainly does this, even though an armistice with Austria-Hungary has already been signed,
because it wants to make sure it will receive the lands promised to it by the allies when
it joined the war in 1916.
11th of November, an armistice with Germany is signed officially ending the Great War.
On that same day Emperor Charles under the pressure from the allies and also some of
his subjects "relinquishes every participation in the administration of the state" of Austria.
He however never officially “abdicates”.
It was his son Otto von Habsburg who officially renounced all claims to the throne in 1961,
but I digress.
12th of November, the “provisional national assembly of German-Austria” now with no
monarch declares the Republic of German-Austria.
On the same day Hungary who still didn’t ratify the Belgrade armistice is informed
by Paris that the allied commanders in Belgrade could have discussed only military matters
not political onse, which means that all the political points of the armistice like the
very important administrative one no longer apply.
This means that the Belgrade armistice is basically just an occupation treaty at this
point.
13th of November, Emperor Charles officially recognizes Hungarian independence and also
just like with Austria "relinquishes every participation in the administration of the
state" of Hungary.
This same day the Hungarian parliament reluctantly accepts the Belgrade armistice because, well
they have no choice.
14th of November, Allied troops including Serbian, Romanian and Czechoslovak start entering
Hungarian territory up to the decided demarcation zone.
The Provisional Transilvanian, Bukovina, Slovak, Serbs of Vojvodina, etc. governments that
declared their independence prior got gradually absorbed into their respective countries.
However as it will become clear this was not without a fight.
For example unlike in the south or east there was never any specific demarcation line set
for Slovakia in the Belgrade Armistice so Czechoslovak troops and Hungarian troops started
fighting each other over Slovakia for the next few weeks.
16th of November, due to Charles’ “withdrawal” from Hungarian affairs Károlyi who wanted
to continue the Hungarian Kingdom had no choice but to now officially proclaim the First Hungarian
Republic.
18th of November, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs fearing further Italian expansion
in to their country send an official protest to the allies about the Italian occupation.
At the same time they were also struggling to keep order in the state and therefore the
council finally decides to unite with the kingdom of Serbia and Montenegro.
They were also advised by the allies to do so as the allies promised the Serbians they
will help them form Yugoslavia.
1st of December 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes is officially declared
by the serbian monarch.
3rd of December 1918, The allies finally set a demarcation line in Slovakia ordering Hungarian
troops to withdraw, ending the Czechoslovak Hungarian fighting ... for now.
5th of December, In retaliation of Polish efforts to subjugate whole of Galicia the
Lemko-Rusyn Republic is declared.
Being Rusyn they didn’t want to join Poland or the West Ukrainian People's Republic.
However the eastern half of the Lemko-Rusyn Republic did want to join the West Ukrainian
People's Republic so they than declared independence from the Lemko-Rusyn Republic to try to join
the West Ukrainian People's Republic.
That same day the Germans in Western Hungary declare the Republic of Heinzenland but this
will get occupied by Hungarian troops just two days later.
That is where I will conclude my chronological summary.
As you may have noticed by now central Europe at the end of 1918 was in disarray and even
though my definitely not all encompassing chronological presentation may make it seem
a bit less chaotic keep in mind due to communication issues everything wasn’t so straightforward
as I presented it.
For example the whole Belgrade armistice negotiations are full of back and forth telegrams between
Paris, the allied commanders, the hungarian embassy and the Hungarian parliament, all
of whom always had to wait for each other's reply only to sometimes receive a different
reply the next day resulting in a pretty confusing mess.
Plus while all of this was happening the commanders on the front lines sometimes didn’t know
an armistice was being negotiated or even signed and continued fighting, sometimes these
commanders knew of the armistice but continued pushing anyways so they could gain more land.
But with all that said in early 1919 this was roughly the state of land control in central
europe by various political entities, with Austria and Hungary having very limited control
outside of their core areas.
And it was during this time that the Paris peace conference formally started 18th of
January 1919 with all the major new and old central european nations sending their representatives.
The very confusing events of the following two years along with the two very controversial
Paris Peace treaties that will eventually resolve this political mess, are such big
topics that they deserve their own videos.
Both of which I will release next month.
One on the 16 of July, the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Saint-Germain coming into
effect.
And One on the 31st of July the 99th anniversary
of the Treaty of Trianon coming into effect.
I mean today was the 100th anniversary of the singing of the Trianon but I had to give
some background before dealing with it, hence we will have to settle with the 99th anniversary
of the treaty coming into effect as the release date for that video
So if you don’t want to miss those videos please subscribe and hit the bell icon.
This video was made possible thanks to my Patreons and special thanks to “Bryan Lafata”.
As always my name is M. Laser and stick around for History.