Trianon Hungary and the Regency History of Hungary

the treaty of trianon: hungary lost 72% of land, , sea ports in croatia, 3,425,000 magyars found separated motherland. country lost 5 of 10 biggest hungarian cities.

hungary s assent treaty of trianon on 4 june 1920 ratified decision of victorious entente powers re-draw country s borders. treaty required hungary surrender more two-thirds of pre-war territories. goal of measure permit minority populations of former austria-hungary reside in states dominated own ethnicity, many hungarians still lived in such territories. result, 1 third of 10 million ethnic hungarians found resident outside diminished homeland minorities in hostile political units.

new international borders separated hungary s industrial base sources of raw materials , former markets agricultural , industrial products. hungary lost 84% of timber resources, 43% of arable land, , 83% of iron ore. although post-trianon hungary retained 90% of engineering , printing industry of former kingdom of hungary, 11% of timber , 16% iron retained. in addition, 61% of arable land, 74% of public road, 65% of canals, 62% of railroads, 64% of hard surface roads, 83% of pig iron output, 55% of industrial plants, 100% of gold, silver, copper, mercury , salt mines, , of all, 67% of credit , banking institutions of former kingdom of hungary lay within territory of hungary s neighbors.

horthy appointed count pál teleki prime minister in july 1920. government issued numerus clausus law limited admission of political insecure elements (these jews) universities , took initial steps towards fulfilling promise of major land reform dividing 3,850 km largest estates small holdings in order quiet rural discontent. teleki s government resigned, however, after charles, former emperor of austria , king of hungary, attempted unsuccessfully retake hungary s throne in march 1921.

the return of former emperor caused split among conservative politicians favored habsburg restoration , nationalist right-wing radicals supported election of native hungarian king. count istván bethlen, non-affiliated right-wing member of parliament, took advantage of rift form new party of unity under leadership. horthy appointed bethlen prime minister. charles died after failed second time reclaim throne in october 1921. (for more detail on charles s attempts retake throne, see charles iv of hungary s conflict miklós horthy.)

miklós horthy de nagybánya, regent of hungary.

as prime minister, bethlen dominated hungarian politics between 1921 , 1931. fashioned political machine amending electoral law, providing jobs in expanding bureaucracy supporters, , manipulating elections in rural areas. bethlen restored order country giving radical counter-revolutionaries payoffs , government jobs in exchange ceasing campaign of terror against jews , leftists.

in 1921, bethlen made deal social democrats , trade unions (called bethlen-peyer pact) legalize activities , free political prisoners in return pledge refrain spreading anti-hungarian propaganda, calling political strikes, , attempting organize peasantry. bethlen brought hungary league of nations in 1922 , out of international isolation signing treaty of friendship italy in 1927. overall, bethlen sought pursue strategy of strengthening economy , building relations stronger nations.

the revision of treaty of trianon rose top of hungary s political agenda. revision of treaty had such broad backing in hungary bethlen used it, @ least in part, deflect criticism of economic, social , political policies.

the worldwide great depression began in 1929 induced drop in standard of living , political mood of country shifted further towards right. in 1932, horthy appointed new prime minister, gyula gömbös, changed course of hungarian policy towards closer cooperation germany , started effort magyarize few remaining ethnic minorities in hungary.

gömbös signed trade agreement germany helped hungary s economy out of depression, made hungary dependent on german economy both raw materials , markets. adolf hitler appealed hungarian desires territorial revisionism, while extreme right-wing organizations such arrow cross party increasingly embraced extreme nazi policies, including relating suppression , victimization of jews. government passed first jewish law in 1938. law established quota system limit jewish involvement in hungarian economy.

in 1938, béla imrédy became prime minister. imrédy s attempts improve hungary s diplomatic relations united kingdom made him unpopular in germany , italy. in light of germany s anschluss austria in march, realized not afford alienate germany , italy long. in autumn of 1938, foreign policy became pro-german , pro-italian.

intent on amassing base of power in hungarian right wing politics, imrédy began suppress political rivals. increasingly influential arrow cross party harassed , banned imrédy s administration. imrédy drifted further right, proposed government re-organized along totalitarian lines , drafted harsher second jewish law. parliament, under new government of pál teleki, approved second jewish law in 1939, restricted jewish involvement in economy, culture , society and, significantly, defined jews race instead of religion. definition , negatively altered status of had formerly converted judaism christianity.