Page 262 - Conflitti Militari e Popolazioni Civili - Tomo II

764 XXXIV Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

reform of political and administrative structures of Hungary, but the economic, social and
public crises in the multinational Empire, become worse due to many years of war, was de-
finitive: the creation of a Hungarian National Council (25 October) commanded by Count
Mihály Károlyi – coming from one of the most important and richest families of magyar
nobility and great supporter of social and democratic reforms – put on the head of the protest-
ing movement in Hungary a political leadership that, supported by the mass, wanted the in-
dependence of the Country, an immediate Peace act with the Entente, an agrarian reform,
universal suffrage and the protection of rights of minorities. In the night between 30 and 31
October 1918, after Károlyi wasn’t named the Head of the Government, given to the Count
János Hadik, the spread discontent turned into a real revolution (Poszi rózsás forradalom,
Chrysanthemum Revolution), in which take part both soldiers and civilians: during the quite
pacific Revolution, some events of violence occurred, among which was the assassination of
4
the ex premier Istvan Tisza, a symbol of the hated Habsburg Empire. While Charles iV
was giving up the power, exiling in Switzerland and signing the fall of the Dual Monarchy,
population was exulting because Károlyi became Head of Government, believing that his
good relationships with the winning nations would have guarantee to the Hungarian Repub-
lic (proclaimed on 16 November 1918) a convenient peace instead of being treated like a
defeated Country; but, despite the democratic and liberal intents of the new politicians, the
Entente, feeling advantaged due to their winning and political power, began the break up of
the Hungarian State, giving some of its parts to Czechoslovakia, some to Romania and some
other to Serbian-Croatian-Slovenian Kingdom (then called Yugoslavia), destabilizing the in-
ternal balance and so making public opinion even more adverse to entente’s decisions. the
new Hungary, occupied by next States and opposed by France (that wanted to domine on
Danube-Balcan area), from the beginning seemed to have few possibility of action: during
the first months of 1919 Hungarian Government had already lost most of its prestige for the
population, despite its brave economic and constitutional initiatives and its attempt to have
good Foreign relations. At the same time the Hungarian Communist Party – created by Béla
5
Kun on 24 November 1918, just back from Bolshevik Russia – was growing up: the eco-
nomic crises, that Kàrolyi couldn’t stop, led to a social conflict, that made the members of
Kun’s party increased, among capital city’s workers, poorer peasants, prisoners of war repat-
riated, but also enlightened intellectuals. At that moment, probably, Kàrolyi thought that
Hungarian situation could have improved by a diplomatic tendency’s change, aimed to ap-
proach Hungary to Soviet Russia, with a double purpose: to find an ally and defender against
the Entente and to make communist party less attractive for social-democrats. Due to similar

4 For a general synthesis of historical period mentioned: R. W. SEton-WatSon, Treaty revision and the Hun-
garian frontiers, London, Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1934; a. BiaGini, Storia dell’Ungheria contemporanea,
Milano, Bompiani, 2006; p. FoRnaRo, Ungheria, Milano, Unicopli, 2006.
5 Born in 1886 in Lele, Transilvania, Béla Kun was the son of a Jewish notary and had joined, up to his youth,
with Socialism ideals: after the beginning of the Great War, he was sent to the Russian front and captured.
Enlisted in the Red Army, he took part in the revolution of 1917 showing remarkable political skills in orga-
nizing propaganda intended to war prisoners: according on some historians he was sent by Lenin in Hungary
to promote the revolution in the Country (A. Biagini, Storia dell’Ungheria..., p. 86; p. FoRnaRo, Béla Kun.
Professione: rivoluzionario. Scritti e discorsi scelti 1918-1936, Soveria Mannelli, Rubbettino Editore, 1980,
pp. 11-16).