DIPLOMACY IN A WHIRLPOOL

PREFACE

The geographical position of Hungary has made it a meeting place of expansive forces which on several occasions in her history became a swirling whirlpool. To survive in this critical zone of Europe a different kind of statesmanship has been necessary from that practiced in nations more favored by geography. When the stage was set for the Second World War, Hungarian statesmen had to choose, not between good and bad, but rather between evil and lesser evil. They could not freely choose their course of actions, but did rightly or wrongly what they considered necessary for the survival of their nation. The main actors in this drama have disappeared from the public scene. A few of them have perished in Germany, others in the Soviet Union. Many were executed. Count Paul Teleki committed suicide in protest against the things to come. Some are scattered around the globe. Although the events which inflicted this vast misfortune belong to contemporary history, they seem nearly as remote as the period of the Turkish occupation of Hungary.

In dealing with the foreign political aspects of these past regimes, I have tried to establish facts accurately, but do not pretend to be authoritative or complete. Within the limited scope of this book, I have not tried to explore basic social tensions or to appraise systematically all the trends of Hungarian foreign policy.

Before the German and during the Soviet occupation of Hungary, a considerable number of Hungarian documents had been deposited abroad. Yet the Hungarian source material is far from complete. The Nuremberg trials revealed some additional data, and the Ciano diaries and diplomatic papers furnished valuable information. The British and German documents thus far published are incomplete, since they terminate in early 1939. Other official publications cover only certain selected events. The unevenness of the available, and not infrequently contradictory, evidence caused a certain disproportion in exposition. In dealing with more recent events, I have used some of my own observations and experiences.

Since political thinking in Eastern Europe is closely related to events of even the distant past, the introductory chapter contains some background material. In the later chapters it was thought necessary to explain certain aspects of the internal changes in Hungary and to discuss the economic problems which confronted the nation, because these problems were closely connected with the entirely changed international scene after the Second World War.

The maps and their accompanying data were prepared by Professor Geza Teleki and -Mr. N. F. W. Thrower of the Virginia Geographical Institute. I am greatly indebted for all their work. I enjoyed the most generous cooperation of many other scholars, statesmen and diplomats whose contributions are acknowledged in a special note dealing with my sources.

Notre Dame, Indiana S.D.K.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND NOTE ON SOURCES

When I arrived in the United States in 1948, I was greatly depressed because of the turn of events along the Danube. In order not to revive painful memories I began to work on some general problems of contemporary diplomacy. Professor Philip E. Mosely of Columbia University urged me to write a book on Hungary's foreign relations in recent times a topic which would enable me to use my personal experiences. Professor Waldemar Gurian, Chairman of the Committee on International Relations at the University of Notre Dame, gave me the final impulse. I extend my thanks to both of them for their encouragement. I also wish to express my deep appreciation to my colleagues on the Committee on International Relations, especially M. A. Fitzsimons, for their sympathetic interest and assistance. Some chapters of the book were read by Hans Kohn of the City College of New York, Robert Ferrell of Michigan State College and Thomas Stritch of Notre Dame University. Professor A. S. Ryan was very helpful concerning stylistic matters. I am grateful to all my research assistants and especially to Charles Poinsatte who is also responsible for the index. I am deeply indebted to several officials of the United States Government who kindly helped me establish some of the facts relating to the diplomacy of the Allies during and following the Second World War.

Although many Hungarian documents were at my disposal, the lack of regular archives made difficult the complete clarification of some events. I tried to overcome this shortcoming by consulting participants in Hungarian public life. Baron George Bakach-Bessenyey, formerly Hungarian Minister to Yugoslavia, France and Switzerland, Aladar Szegedy-Maszak, former head of the political division of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry and later Hungarian Minister to the United States, Professor Geza Teleki, former Minister of Religion and Public Instruction, Lorand D. Schweng, former Secretary of State in the Ministry of Finance, and Monsignor Gedeon Peterffy, former head of the Hungarian Papal Institute in Rome, read most parts of the manuscript and greatly assisted in the clarification of many facts. Information received from Professor Teleki was the basis for the material pertaining to the activities of the first Hungarian armistice delegation in Moscow. Paul Auer, former Hungarian Minister to France, reviewed the passage concerning his contacts with Czechoslovak statesmen in the 1930's. Paul Balla, former under-Secretary of State gave me information regarding the tragic events of

Zsablya and Ujvidek which he investigated in his official capacity in 1943-1944. I am most grateful for the generous assistance of all the persons who cooperated in my research. I have established the final text after considering all the facts and information at my disposal, and I alone am responsible for all evaluations, interpretations and possible errors.

xii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

British Documents

Documents on British Foreign Policy 1918-1939, edited by E. L. Woodward and Rohan Butler, Third Series, Volumes II, III and IV, (London, 1949-1951).

Bulletin

The Department of State Bulletin, U. S. Government Printing Office, (Washington, D. C.).

DGFP Documents on German Foreign Policy 1918-1945 Series D, Volumes II and IV, (Washington, D. C., 1949 and 1951).