First Vienna Award

• 1. Diplomatic Origins And Context

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  On the 2nd of November 1938, the First Vienna Award treaty was signed at Belvedere Palace in Vienna. This document emerged directly from the Munich Agreement of October 1938, which had already partitioned Czechoslovakia. Hungary sought to reclaim lost territories through peaceful means to restore its historical borders established before World War I. In the interwar period, Hungary remained economically and militarily weaker than its neighbors against whom it held territorial claims. Germany and Italy supported Hungary's demands for revision of the 1920 Treaty of Trianon. Nazi Germany had previously violated the Versailles Treaty by remilitarizing the Rhineland on the 7th of March 1936 and annexing Austria on the 12th of March 1938. From 1933, Hungary closely coordinated its foreign policy with Nazi Germany hoping to revise its borders. Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Gömbös visited Berlin in June 1933 and met Adolf Hitler. They concluded that Czechoslovakia was a principal obstacle to rearranging Central Europe and should be subverted internally. During an August 1936 meeting, Miklós Horthy advocated a common attack against Czechoslovakia to excise what he called a cancerous tumor from the heart of Europe. In late 1937, Hitler decided to open a campaign against Czechoslovakia. By November 1938, Germany and Hungary focused on creating a common platform to achieve this end.

• 2. Negotiation Deadlock And Escalation

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  The Munich Agreement defined a three-month period to resolve Hungarian demands, but the Hungarian government pushed to start negotiations immediately. Pressure increased through border conflicts and diversion actions within Czechoslovakia. The first conflict occurred early morning on the 5th of October 1938 when troops of the Royal Hungarian Army crossed the border and attacked Czechoslovak positions near Jesenské. Their goal was capturing Rimavská Sobota. Hungarian troops withdrew after Czechoslovak reinforcements arrived, killing nine Hungarians and capturing prisoners. Two days later, Hungarian troops attempted crossing the Danube near Parkan. The situation worsened in Carpathian Ruthenia due to lower fortification density there. Paramilitary units of the Rongyos Gárda infiltrated Czechoslovakia starting the 6th of October 1938. They blew up the bridge over the Borozhava River two days later. Such actions continued during bilateral negotiations held between 9 and the 13th of October 1938 in Komárno. On the second day of talks, Hungarian troops murdered a railway officer in Borozhava and damaged railway facilities. Negotiations failed because Hungary demanded areas where at least 50% of Hungarians lived according to the 1910 census while also requesting territories not matching those criteria. Hungary proposed a plebiscite for Slovaks and Ruthenians to decide rejoining Hungary, which Czechoslovakia rejected as irrelevant. The Hungarian delegation refused several Czechoslovak proposals including creating an autonomous Hungarian territory within Slovakia. Kálmán Kánya characterized one offer as bad joke and declared it absolutely impossible to discuss. By evening on the 13th of October, Kánya announced negotiations had failed and asked the four signatories of the Munich Agreement to adjudicate.

• 3. The Arbitration Process In Vienna

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  The arbitration began at noon on the 2nd of November 1938 inside Belvedere Palace in Vienna. Foreign ministers Joachim von Ribbentrop of Germany and Galeazzo Ciano of Italy served as arbiters. The Hungarian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Kálmán Kánya accompanied by Education Minister Pál Teleki. František Chvalkovský led the Czechoslovak delegation alongside Ivan Krno. Hermann Göring attended the proceedings. Despite explicit demands from Czechoslovak representatives, both arbiters refused to let Jozef Tiso and Avgustyn Voloshyn participate. They reasoned only central government representatives could attend since Slovakia and Carpatho-Ruthenia were partially autonomous. Negotiations lasted less than half a day before a new border was drawn. When Ribbentrop announced the award around 7 p.m., the Czechoslovak delegation stood shocked. Tiso required persuasion from Ribbentrop and Chvalkovský into signing the document. Messages received days earlier from borderline villages rejected becoming part of Hungary stating stay there do not liberate us we are having good time better than you liberate yourself. The ceded territories included towns like Senec Galanta Vráble Levice Lučenec Rimavská Sobota Jelšava Rožnava Košice Michaľany Veľké Kapušany Uzhhorod and Mukachevo. Slovakia lost 10,390 square kilometers with 854,277 inhabitants according to the 1930 census.

• 4. Territorial Transfer And Demographics

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  Czechoslovakia surrendered southern Slovakia and southern Carpathian Ruthenia south of the line to Romania's border. The region contained 503,980 Hungarians representing 58.99% of the population but also 272,145 Slovaks or Czechs making up 32.43%. Only eight of seventy-nine villages around Košice had Hungarian-majority populations despite claims otherwise. The area held 42,245 Slovaks within Košice itself. Hungary conducted a new census in December 1938 under an atmosphere of expulsions persecutions restrictions civil rights and psychological coercion by authorities. Official results claimed 86.5% Hungarians and 9.8% Slovaks reducing total Slovak population to 121,603. Sixty-seven villages lost their Slovak majority while the Slovak population decreased by 74,100 and Hungarian population increased by 77,715. This differed significantly from the 1930 Czechoslovak census which counted declared nationality rather than mother tongue registered by commissars. The two censuses showed major discrepancies regarding Jewish population counts since Jews could declare separate nationality in Czechoslovakia but not in Hungary. Population transfers occurred both voluntarily and forcibly after the border change complicating demographic comparisons. Estimates suggest about 50,000 Slovaks left before December 1938 either voluntarily or through force.

• 5. Social Upheaval And Expulsions

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  The Vienna Award escalated Slovakia into first deportations of Jews occurring between 4 and the 5th of November 1938. Tiso's autonomous government deported 7,500 Jews into the new Hungarian-Slovak border justifying it as letting them go where they wanted. Non-Hungarians in ceded territory faced three fates: leaving before award enforcement remaining until war reintegrated region or being expelled. Officials and farmers opting to move received administrative military public safety support plus road vehicles railway wagons transporting property. Deák estimates half state employees and Czech colonists left before Hungarian Army arrival totaling around 50,000 Slovaks. The Hungarian General Staff issued orders on the 5th of November 1938 expelling all Slovak and Czech colonists including family members and descendants. A second edict on the 11th of November imposed immediate expulsion defining them enemies state. Soldiers police freely performed home inspections without authorization confiscating food livestock grain stocks. Forced expulsions affected Germans alongside Slovaks Moravians Czechs often preceded by arrest imprisonment physical torture transportation border with Czechoslovakia military assistance. In Gbelce three Czech colonists shot dead one hanged. Civil servants required leaving within 48 hours replaced by Hungarians. About 150 schools built by Slovak League declared Hungarian state property. Eight hundred sixty-two of 1,119 teachers lost jobs by end 1938. Four grammar schools closed Košice six others towns. Police dispersed parents associations demanding Slovak schools beating those who protested. Parents from Ruskov Blažice imprisoned two weeks. Hungarian police burned school supplies requested directors burn them confiscated items Trstená pri Hornáde Nižná Myšeľ Čaňa Ždaňa.

• 6. Strategic Consequences For Poland

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  Under pressure Hitler Slovakia declared total independence the 14th of March 1939 ending Czechoslovakia existence. Two days earlier Hitler gave Hungary permission occupy rest Carpatho-Ruthenia within twenty-four hours abstain annexing remainder Slovakia turning strategically located German ally planned invasion Poland. Between 15-the 18th of March what remained Carpatho-Ukraine declared independence then occupied Hungary occupying small amount Slovakia the 15th of March launching larger attack eastern Slovakia the 23rd of March advancing west possible. After short Slovak-Hungarian War several air raids including Spišská Nová Ves the 24th of March Germany forced stop negotiate giving further territories Eastern Slovakia 1,897 square kilometers 69,630 inhabitants almost all Slovaks Rusyns unlike earlier Vienna Award annexed not justified ethnic grounds. Until mid-March 1939 Germany considered common Hungarian-Polish frontier undesirable military reasons indeed warned Hungary touch remainder Slovakia authorizing occupation Carpathian Ruthenia meant using Slovakia staging ground planned invasion Poland. In six months during 1939 invasion Poland common Hungarian-Polish border became major importance Horthy's government declined Hitler request transit German forces across Carpathian Rus into southeastern Poland speed conquest allowing Polish government tens thousands Polish military personnel escape neighboring Hungary Romania France French-mandated Syria carry operations third-strongest Allied belligerent Britain France. Polish British intelligence agents couriers Krystyna Skarbek used Hungary's Carpathian Rus route across Carpathian Mountains from Poland.

• 7. Postwar Nullification And Legacy

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  The Vienna Award later ruled null void under international law since Czechoslovak government accepted arbitration presumed threat arbiters Nazi Germany Fascist Italy heavy influence Hungarian demands. On the 11th of December 1940 British Foreign Office confirmed Britain bound Munich Agreement regarding Czechoslovak borders interpreted signed properly invalid the 15th of March 1939. Negotiations continued halfway 1942. Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov confirmed restoration Czechoslovakia borders before Munich Agreement the 9th of June 1942. Italian Foreign Minister Carlo Sforza informed Czechoslovak representative the 26th of September 1944 considered Munich First Vienna Award invalid start confirmed peace treaty Hungary signed the 10th of February 1947 declaring border fixed former frontier existed the 1st of January 1938 except three villages south Bratislava given bridgehead Czechoslovakia. Postwar persecutions redefined Czechoslovak minority policy resulting population exchange 68,407 Hungarians 59,774 Slovaks further 31,780 Hungarians expelled settled territories only after Vienna Award. Communist coup February 1948 did not immediately improve status Hungarians relationships normalized second half 1948. During visit Budapest the 15th of March 1948 chairman Czechoslovak Constitutional National Assembly declared Hungarian people responsible past oppression Slovaks crimes Hungarian noblemen regime Miklós Horthy October 1948 restored citizenship Hungarians residents Slovakia the 1st of November 1938 convicted crimes. the 16th of April 1949 two countries signed agreement friendship cooperation the 25th of July 1949 Hungarian government committed return artistic historical relics seized after First Vienna Award final agreement signed the 11th of November 1951 validity ten years fully respected.