1940: Hungary

Hungary is a kingdom in Central Europe, the throne of which has been vacant since 1918. The royal prerogatives have been exercised for the last twenty years by a regent, Admiral Nicholas Horthy. During the year 1940 Hungary again increased her territory by the inclusion of Northern Transylvania. It was the third gain of territory by Hungary in quick succession. The award of Vienna in November 1938, gave to Hungary the southeastern part of Slovakia and the southern part of Carpatho-Ukraine; in March 1939, Hungary occupied and annexed the rest of Carpatho-Ukraine; and on Aug. 30, 1940, a second award of Vienna by Germany and Italy settled, at least for the time being, the dispute between Hungary and Rumania about Transylvania, by giving to Hungary the northern half of that province. By this division Hungary received the strategically important Carpathian mountain border against the Soviet Union, which by the occupation of Eastern Galicia and of the Bukovina had become Hungary's neighbor. The new borderline roughly cuts Transylvania in two, leaving the southern and southwestern portions to Rumania, but restoring to Hungary a larger area in the north and giving back a long stretch of her pre-World War mountain border in the east. The new line begins at a point southwest of Salonta, runs northeast to a point about seven miles southeast of Oradea (Grosswardein), then in an easterly direction south of and near the railway from Oradea to Cluj. Thence it runs south past Cluj to a point approximately twenty miles northwest of Tirgu-Muresului. (For relations with Slovakia see CZECHOSLOVAKIA.)

Acquisition of Transylvania.

The newly gained territory with about 2,500,000 inhabitants is largely timberland; it includes the Carol line of fortification which the Rumanians built as a protection against Hungary, and it contains a very large Rumanian and a considerable German population. The Rumanians protested bitterly against this cession of a land which they regarded historically and ethnographically as predominantly Rumanian; there were many clashes between the Hungarian troops, which proceeded to occupy the new territory, and Rumanian demonstrators, but with German support Hungary annexed Northern Transylvania without any serious obstacle. On Sept. 5 the first contingent of Hungarian soldiers, led by Admiral Nicholas Horthy on a white charger, began the occupation. The first city to be occupied was Satu Mare, and by Sept. 13 the whole occupation was completed. By this action Hungary added an area of 17,000 square miles, and her population was increased to 13,500,000. On Oct. 10 forty-three Transylvanian deputies took their seats in the Hungarian Chamber of Deputies, forming a part of the sixty-three deputies by which Transylvania will be represented in the Hungarian Parliament. The University of Cluj was again Magyarized; the university which had been established in 1921 in Szeged was transferred to Cluj, which will again be called by its Hungarian name, Kolosvar. (See also EUROPEAN WAR.)

Hungary Joins the Axis.

Hungary's gain of territory was not due to military conquest; it was entirely the result of decisions taken by Germany and Italy, and it therefore tied Hungary more closely to the Axis powers. The year 1940 witnessed the complete integration of Hungary into the Axis system, both as regards the foreign policy of the country and her internal development. The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Count Stephen Csaky, went to Vienna on Nov. 20 and signed there a protocol whereby Hungary joined the pact between Germany, Italy and Japan which had been signed in Berlin on Sept. 27, 1940. The protocol merely admitted Hungary to membership and to councils on matters affecting her interest. This formal adhesion of Hungary to the Axis powers did not create a new situation, but merely confirmed the trend towards Fascism which has dominated Hungarian life entirely for the past years. This fascization of Hungary had been promoted especially by Bela Imredy, a former president of the Hungarian National Bank who had resigned as Premier on Feb. 15, 1939. His adhesion to National Socialism gave greater influence to the Hungarian National Socialist party which is known under the name of Arrow Cross party, and whose official leader, Major Ferene Szalasi, was released from prison early last fall. Imredy's leadership offers a greater threat to the stability of the present Hungarian government, led by Count Teleki, than do the several out-and-out National Socialist parties and groups which exist in Hungary and which in the first part of November 1940, were accused by the Hungarian government of a plot to kidnap the Regent and to overthrow the existing government.

Internal Policies.

In spite of several cross-currents in Hungary's internal policy and the desire on the part of large Hungarian circles to maintain some Hungarian independence, Hungary was forced in December 1940, to close the Polish legation in Budapest, notwithstanding the often stressed long-standing close friendship between Hungary and Poland. In a similar spirit the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Count Stephen Csaky, went to Belgrade to sign a treaty of friendship with the Yugoslav Foreign Minister, Alexander Cincar-Markovitch.

In conformity with the growing influence of National Socialism over all spheres of Hungarian life, the elimination of Jews from the economic life of the country proceeded with increased severity. Step by step the Hungarian Jews were deprived of their livelihood. The number of special restrictions imposed was very great, and followed each other in quick succession. On Oct. 2 the Government submitted a bill to the Hungarian Parliament, according to which the number of ecclesiastical members of the Hungarian House of Lords was increased as a result of the occupation of Northern Transylvania, and representatives of the Roman Catholic, the Greek Catholic, the Greek Orthodox and the Calvinist faiths were added. At the same time the Jewish faith lost its only representative in the House of Lords, and the bill pointed out that the political, economic and social situation of the Jews in Hungary had so fundamentally changed that this representation was no longer needed.