Levéltári Közlemények, 39. (1968)

Levéltári Közlemények, 39. (1968) 1. - FORRÁSKÖZLÉS - Karsai Elek: Brit diplomáciai iratok az 1921. évi húsvéti királypuccs történetéhez / 105–139. o.

Brit diplomáciai iratok az 1921. évi húsvéti királypuccs történetéhez 107 sented, who was buried last week at Vienna, and had had conversations with the Duke of Parma, Prince Esterházy, Count Mensdorf, and Prince Fürstenburg, etc., etc. I opinioned that he had probably returned with a fairly shrewd idea of how Karlist and Hapsburg intrigues were progressing in Austria and Bavaria. M. Barczy told me that in Munich he had found that the members of the monarchic party in Bavaria were far wiser than those in Hungary, for they had quite made up their minds that though they would retain the House of Wittelsbach, they intended to put the Crown Prince Albrecht on the throne and not Ludwig III, however, they were in no hurry to do so for the next few years. At Vienna he had found the Kar lists convinced that the French especially, and probably the British Government would not oppose the ,,fait accompli" of the return of a Hapsburg, especially if Karl were to abdicate in favour of his son Otto, a solution -which he told me was favoured by M. Aliizé, the French Minister at Berne. There was no question that power of the Karlists was growing daily, especially in the Western Comitats and in Hungary in general, where it was felt that this would be a solution of that problem of the Peace Treaty that concerned Austria and Hungary; also that in Croatia and Slovakia there was a growing feeling for reunion with Austro-Hungary, I told him I did not believe this for one moment; the Croats were not happy with the Serbs and the Slovaks were hating the Czech misrule and oppression, but much as they might dislike their present predicament, they were not likely to forget so soon their former hatred of the Magyar rule. M. Barczy replied that I might be right, but this was the propaganda now carried on from Vienna, and that with a promise of autonomy he considered it would have no little affect. What he himself had been surprised to find was that the supporters of the Ex-Emperor failed to realise the determination of the great majority of the Hungarian people to be rid of Austria and Vienna for good, for although there were many supporters in Hungary of Karl as King of Hungary, with the exception of some of the great political nobles such as Andrassy, no sane man desired Karl as Emperor of Austria and Hungary; he had tried to convince the Austrian? of this, but without effect. I told M. Barczy that we seemed to have exchanged the course of the emigre Bolshevists who had been our bugbear in the first half of the year for that of the Austrian Hapsburgites, but as I understood the Ex-Emperor Karl had no intentions whatever to resing the dual-crowns, I failed to see that for the moment he was to be considered a dangerous candidate. Barczy told me a very significant story. He had been allowed to visit the bed chamber of the Ex-Emperor, all very simply furnished,^ but on the walls were two pictures representing incidents of history in which Austria had suppressed Hungary, I suggested that was excellent propaganda for the Budapest clubs and he agreed. We then reverted to other Hapsburg candidates, though M. Barczy is quite aware of the views held by H. M. G. on all such pretensions. He laughed at the present hopes of the Archduke Joseph, though he seemed to think that if he could only be induced to keep quiet the Kingship might at some future date fall like a ripe plum into the mouth of his son. I met the young Archduke Francis Joseph one week end, but though he is a nice unpretentious young man of 24, he does not strike be as very intelligent and not at all ambitious. With regard to the Archduke Albrecht, Barczy evidently thought that he was the most desirable candidate; a wiew I have rather gathered is also held by Count Teleki. I have only seen him once, and beyond the fact that he is reputed not to be Hapsburg (see my despatch No. 614 of the 23rd August), I fail to see why his claims should be considered beyond the fact that his mother is a Princess of Croy and that he speaks Hungarian fluently; there are certainly other Hapsburgs nearer in succession, not to speak of his father. Then we went on to discuss the intrigues of other Hapsburgs, such as the branch of Tuscany, but I won't worry you with all this, beyond showing you that it seems an open race with many runners. I am quite certain Barczy did go to Munich and Vienna to pour cold water over these Hapsburg intrigues, if he succeeded so much to the good, but this Kingship question is a problem that has got to be solved before we can ever hope to have peace and quiet in Budapest. The idea of an Italian King does not meet with much favour and such nobles as Festetics and others would I know strongly oppose it. ^ In fact I don't know what to suggest, but I begin to feel that before long I shall in duty bound be forced to write officially that unless the Conference of Ambassadors or some other body will take a hand in helping to settle this question, I must not be accused of having failed to warn H. M. G. that one fine morning they may wake up to find that a Karlist „fait