The Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919 and the Romanian Intervention. A Historiographical Analysis Cover Image

The Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919 and the Romanian Intervention. A Historiographical Analysis
The Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919 and the Romanian Intervention. A Historiographical Analysis

Author(s): Florin Nacu
Subject(s): History, Diplomatic history, Political history, History of Communism
Published by: Editura Universitaria Craiova
Keywords: Austria-Hungary dissolution; Bela Kun; Romanian Army intervention; Soviet Republic of Hungary; Communist revolution; Bolshevik agitations;

Summary/Abstract: The article reveals the moment and the implications of the Romanian intervention in Hungary, in 1919, after the proclamation of the Soviet Hungarian Republic, under the leadership of Bela Kun, an advocate and journalist with Jewish-Hungarian origin, born in 1886, at Cehu Silvaniei, then in Austria-Hungary, today in Romania. The issue was presented in the historiography with multiple senses. Romanian intervention was seen by the contemporaries as a defensive action of Romania to impose the decisions of December 1-st 1918 of Alba Iulia. Hungarian republican troops refused to retreat according to the international agreements on the Franchet D (Esperey Line. After Bela Kun seized power as a Bolshevik internationalist leader, on March, 21 1919, the great powers had seen an immediate danger for extending the Communism from Soviet Russia which was in the Civil War. For Romania, the attitude of Bela Kun was seen as a threat regarding Transylvania, because Bela Kun refused to admit the historical rights of Romania and declared war on Romania, on April 16, 1919. Romania succeeded to have Banat under complete Romanian administration on August 3, 1919, when Romanian troops entered in Timisoara. Romanian campaign in Hungary, started on passing Tisa on July 24 1919, had a double asset, as the researchers considered: on the main side, a communist government in Central Europe could be dismissed, on the other side; Romania could have more rights when the Treaty with Hungary will be signed. On August 4, 1919, Romanian Army entered in Budapest. After 1989, the Romanian Campaign from 1919 was seen as the first successfully anti-communist military action in Europe after the collapse of the democratic forces help against Russian Bolsheviks in 1921. Hungarian communists and also Romanian communists who respected Moscow political line considered the Romanian campaign as an “imperialist aggression”.

  • Issue Year: 2020
  • Issue No: 66
  • Page Range: 29-39
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: English