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The Treaty of Trianon was an agreement that regulated the situation of the new Hungarian state that replaced the Kingdom of Hungary, after World War I. It was signed on June 4, 1920, at the Petite Trianon (not at the Grand, shown on the picture) Palace at Versailles, France.
The main parties to the Treaty were the winning powers, their allied countries, and the losing side. The winning powers included the United States, Britain, France and Italy; their allies were Romania, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia; and the losing side was the former Austro-Hungarian monarchy, represented by Hungary. The winning powers included one economic mainstream within Europe, that is the nations that had gone through rapid progress in the 19th century due to industrial revolution and, to a certain extent, to colonialism (Britain, France, and to a smaller extent Italy). Austria-Hungary also experienced economic progress especially in the late 19th century (without relying on colonization), but remained a European country with a relatively underdeveloped economy.
Frontiers of Hungary
Hungary proclaimed its independence from Austria on November 16, 1918. Previously, on October 31, the Banat Republic was proclaimed in Temesvár, and the government of Hungary, already in place at that time, recognized its independence. Temporary borders of independent Hungary were defined in November–December 1918. Compared with the former Kingdom of Hungary, these borders did not include:
- a part of Transylvania, which became part of Romania.
- Highland (Slovakia), which became part of Czechoslovakia.
- Croatia-Slavonia and Vajdaság which joined the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, along with the Hungarian cities of Pécs, Mohács, Baja and Szigetvár.
The final borders of Hungary were defined by the Treaty of Trianon in 1920. Compared with the borders set eighteen months previously, the Trianon borders of Hungary did not include:
- the rest of Transylvania, which became part of Romania.
- Carpathian Ruthenia, which had become part of Czechoslovakia, pursuant to the Treaty of Saint-Germain in 1919.
- most of Burgenland, which had gone to Austria, also pursuant to the Treaty of Saint-Germain; the district of Sopron opted to remain with Hungary after a plebiscite held in December 1921 (it was the only place where a plebiscite was permitted in the decision).
By the Treaty of Trianon, the cities of Pécs, Mohács, Baja and Szigetvár, which were on the Yugoslav side of the border after November 1918, were restored to Hungary.
Compared with the former Kingdom of Hungary, the population of post-Trianon Hungary was reduced from near 21 million to 7 million and its land area reduced by 72%.
After 1920, Hungary did not have access to the sea, which the former Kingdom had had through Croatia for over 800 years.
With the help of Germany and Italy, Hungary expanded its borders towards neighbouring countries at the outset of World War II, under the two Vienna Awards (1938 and 1940), following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia (recapture of northern Subcarpathia and eastern Highland) and following conquest at Yugoslavia. This territorial expansion was short-lived, since the post-war boundaries agreed on at the Treaty of Paris in 1947 were nearly identical with those of
Consequences of the treaty
Demographic consequences
According to the census of 1910, the largest ethnic group in the Kingdom of Hungary were the Magyars (usually called "Hungarians" in English), who were approximately 54% of the entire population. The Kingdom of Hungary was not clearly nation-state as were many Western European countries. Another problem with interpreting the censuses is that many of the new national identities were more or less in the making at the time.
Population of the lost territories based on census data of 1910:
- In Highland and Subcarpathia (to Czechoslovakia): 1,702,000 Slovaks and 1,874,000 others (mostly Hungarians, Germans and Ruthenians)
- In Transylvania (to Romania): 2,829,454 Romanians and 2,428,013 others (mostly Hungarians and Germans)
- In Vajdaság and Croatia-Slavonia (to Yugoslavia): 2,756,000 Serbo-Croatians and 1,366,000 others (mostly Hungarians and Germans)
- In Burgenland (to Austria): 232.000 Germans and 126.000 others
The Hungarian population in all these regions is stagnating after the Treaty, so large Magyar population can still be found in these countries today
On the other hand, a considerable number of other nationalities remained within the frontiers of the new Hungary, 141,800 Slovaks, 551,200 Germans and some 72,500 Serbo-Croatians. The percentage of all non-Magyar nationalities very quickly decreased nearly to zero in the new Hungary (there are only about 17,000 Slovaks in Hungary today).
Political consequences
Generally speaking, the treaty was a confirmation of the concept of the right for self-determination of nations and of the concept of nation-states replacing old structures of power. New governments appeared in most successor states mostly deriving their legitimacy from the idea of national identity (in many cases a relatively new concept). In some traditionally multi-ethnic areas the application of this idea proved difficult. Existing ethnic divisions usually increased, and new ones were created. Many cities and regions that were ethnically diverse in the 19th century became for the most part mono-lingual, or dominated by a single language and culture. Some 70 years later, in 1993, the successor state Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, while the successor state Yugoslavia disintegrated through ethnic warfare.
From the point of view of the new states, after centuries of foreign rule, most of the nations of former Austria-Hungary (also called a 'dungeon of nations' by them) finally achieved a right for self-determination and independence or united with the other members of their nation.
The main controversy about the Treaty of Trianon are the borders of Hungary. While the majority of the areas that had been part of the Kingdom of Hungary but were not part of independent Hungary after the Treaty were inhabited by non-Hungarian nationalities, there were also some areas, inhabited mainly by Hungarians, which were not located within the borders of Hungary after the Treaty. These Hungarian-inhabited areas include some north-eastern parts of Transylvania (see: Székelyföld), southern parts of Slovakia (see: Komárno), northern parts of Vojvodina (see: Ethnic groups of Vojvodina), etc.
Other consequences
Economically, 61.4% of the arable land, 88% of the timber, 62.2% of the railroads, 64.5% of the hard surface roads, 83.1% of the pig iron output, 55.7% of the industrial plants and 67% of the credit and banking institutions of the former Kingdom of Hungary became part of other countries. Romania, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia had to assume part of the financial obligations of Hungary on account of the territory placed under their sovereignty.
The military conditions were similar to those imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles; the Hungarian army was to be restricted to 35,000 men and there was to be no conscription. Further provisions stated that in Hungary, no railway would be built with more than one track.
Hungary also renounced all privileges in territory outside Europe that belonged to the former Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
Articles 54–60 of the Treaty required Hungary to observe various rights of national minorities within its borders. Hungary has been accused of violating these provisions.
One interesting thing that even Austria - who were on the side of Germany - got a part out of Hungary.
See also
External links
- Text of the Treaty
- Other facts about Trianon
- Hungarian Railroad (in Hungarian)
- Hungarian Government Office for Hungarians Abroad
- Map of Hungarian borders in November-December 1918
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