Századok – 2003

TANULMÁNYOK - Hornyák Árpád: Magyar-jugoszláv diplomáciai kapcsolatok 1918-1927.Az őszirózsás forradalom és a Tanácsköztársaság 1307

MAGYAR-JUGOSZLÁV DIPLOMÁCIAI KAPCSOLATOK 1918-1927 1331 DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN HUNGARY AND YUGOSLAVIA 1918-1927 The Bourgeois Revolution and the Soviet Republic by Árpád Hornyok Summary Hungary, governed by the regime of Mihály Károlyi, sought a rapprochement with Yugoslavia shortly after the end of World War I. The policy of Belgrade towards Hungary after the war was shaped by three factors: to secure economic and territorial advantages to the detriment of Hungary at the peace conference; the determination of Bucharest to profit by the occupation by the Romanians of an important part of Hungary; and, last but not least, the problem of the Habsburgs. To sum up, it can be safely stated that up to the middle of the 1920s Yugoslavia was not interested in strengthening her ties with Hungary beyond the normal level. The necessity of normalising the economic and then the political relationship between the two countries emerged in the autumn of 1923, during the negotiation of a loan demanded by Hungary from the (League of Nations?) The development of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Yugoslavia was always influenced by their respective foreign policies, by domestic events, by the international atmosphere and, as a matter of fact, by the changing opinion of the great powers. The power mostly interested in the problem was Italy, which followed with constant attention the negotiations. Rome was not content with the role of a passive observer, however. It took on the role of a mediator twice in 1924. Later, when a Hungaro-Yugoslav cooperation was not in keeping with Mussolini's plans for Central-Europe, Rome went as far as to offer herself to Budapest as an alternative for Belgrade. Thanks to the Italian offer, late in 1926 Hungary was again in a position to choose. Rome or Belgrade? The answer was obviously Rome. Henceforth the possibility of a Hungaro-Yugoslav alliance was kept on the agenda merely as an element of political tactics on both sides. In Yugoslavia it was destined to demonstrate that the country was not totally encircled, whereas in Hungary it was thought to increase the country's value in the eyes of Italy. The negotiations finally came to a halt after the signing of the Italo-Hungarian treaty of friendship and arbitrage on 5 April 1927. Henceforth neither side came forward seriously with the necessity of a political agreement for more than a decade.