A magyar külpolitika útkeresése, 1919–1923
The Search for a Grand Strategy: Hungarian Foreign Policy 1919-1923

Summary/Abstract: Hungarian foreign policy between August 1919 and 1923 was characterized by the search for an overarching strategy. All attempts at diplomatic maneuvering in this period were hampered by the lack of prestige and power: Budapest was attempting to realize territorial, defense and economic goals, as well as to ensure the rights of Hungarian minorities across the new borders, largely against the interests of neighboring states supported by the victorious great powers. The series of attempts to break out of isolation began with Romanian-Hungarian negotiations aimed at establishing an alliance under Italian supervision. Soon after, plans of a British orientation came to the fore, but were abandoned in favor of a prospective Franco-Hungarian understanding by spring 1920. In this time period, Budapest was also engaged in building ties with Warsaw, considered friendly towards Hungarian aims, and, by 1921, overtures were made even to Czechoslovakia. Parallel to the traditional diplomacy carried out by the Foreign Service, a series of covert operations were also in preparation. Cooperation with various German right-wing officer networks periodically appeared on this secret agenda, ultimately envisaging the destruction of the Versailles peace system. Veterans and serving officers plotted to reclaim the former Upper Hungary from Czechoslovakia, enable Croatian secession to the south and engineer a right-wing coup in Austria. After a series chaotic and unsuccessful attempts, Count István Bethlen carried out a reorientation of Hungarian foreign policy from late spring 1921 onwards. He restored cohesion to foreign policy action, while adapting it to the prevailing power political realities. This did yield results even in the short term, although eventually forced Bethlen to suspend (yet not abandon) the central aim of achieving territorial revisions of the Treaty of Trianon.

• Details
• Contents