Treaty of Trianon

The Treaty of Trianon was signed on June 4, 1920, ending World War I for Hungary and changing its borders forever. It was signed in the Grand Trianon at Versailles by Hungary and the Allied powers that had fought against it in the war. The treaty ended the war between Hungary and most of its enemies and set new borders for the country.

Before the treaty, Hungary had been part of the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, which joined the war in 1914. By late 1918, the war was ending, and Hungary agreed to stop fighting. However, its neighbors like Czechoslovakia, Romania, and The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes blocked trade and moved troops into Hungarian lands. This made life very hard for people in Hungary.

The treaty was prepared at the Paris Peace Conference and was not negotiated—it was simply presented to Hungary for acceptance or rejection. Hungary signed it under protest because it lost large areas of land where many Hungarians lived. These areas were given to neighboring countries, and Hungary became a smaller, landlocked state. The treaty also limited Hungary’s army and required it to pay reparations.

Even though Hungary accepted the treaty to bring peace and trade back, many people there felt unhappy about losing so much land. The treaty’s decisions shaped modern Hungary and its relations with its neighbors for many years.

Background

First World War and Austro-Hungarian Armistice

Main articles: World War I, American entry into World War I, and Fourteen Points

In 1914, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist. This led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia, which started World War I. Two groups of countries faced each other: the Central Powers, led by Germany, and the Triple Entente, led by Britain, France, and Russia. In 1918, Germany tried to defeat the Allies but failed. The Allies then began to push back, leading to an armistice in November 1918 that ended the fighting for the Central Powers.

The United States entered the war in 1917. President Woodrow Wilson wanted to end aggressive military actions and promote peace based on his Fourteen Points, which included ideas like free trade, open agreements, and self-determination for people. Wilson’s plan also called for ending the war through negotiation, reducing weapons, and creating a League of Nations to keep peace.

Aster Revolution and the First Hungarian Republic

Main articles: Armistice of Villa Giusti, Aster Revolution, and First Hungarian Republic

In October 1918, as the war ended, a revolution in Hungary led to the formation of the First Hungarian Republic. The new government wanted to keep Hungary’s historic borders but faced many challenges, including a lack of resources and pressure from other countries.

Treaty preparation and Conference at Trianon in Paris

The Treaty of Trianon was signed in June 1920, ending the war between Hungary and the Allied powers. Hungary lost a large part of its land and had to accept new borders. Hungarian leaders argued that their country should keep its historic lands, but the Allies decided the new borders would stay as they were. The treaty also included rules for restoring economic relations between Hungary and its neighbors.

Borders of Hungary

The Hungarian government ended its union with Austria on 31 October 1918, dissolving the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy. Temporary borders were set by ceasefire lines in November–December 1918. These borders did not include several areas:

• Part of Transylvania south of the Mureș River and east of the Someș River, which came under Romanian control.
• Sibiu in Romania, where the local council chose neutrality.
• Târgu Mureș in Romania, occupied by Romanian forces.
• Areas that declared union with Romania and Czechoslovakia.

After ceasefire lines were set, Hungary faced pressures to change its borders. This led to changes in leadership and military actions. Eventually, the final borders of Hungary were set by the Treaty of Trianon on 4 June 1920. These borders excluded many areas that had been part of the pre-war Kingdom of Hungary, including parts of Transylvania, Carpathian Ruthenia, most of Burgenland, and Međimurje. Some cities were returned to Hungary, but the country lost access to the sea.

Results and consequences

The Treaty of Trianon led to big changes in Hungary and the surrounding areas. Many Hungarians felt unhappy because large parts of their land were given to other countries. This made some people in Hungary want to bring back those lands.

Before the treaty, Hungary had a big empire with many different people living there. After the treaty, many non-Hungarian people became the main groups in the new countries. Hungary lost a lot of land and many of its people, which made the country smaller and weaker.

The treaty also caused economic problems. Hungary used to be good at making food, but now it had less land to farm. Factories and railways that used to connect different parts of the empire were now split up, making trade harder. This made life harder for many people in the area.

Hungary had to change its army and give up some of its rights. The country was not allowed to have a big army or modern weapons. Hungary also had to treat people of different nationalities living there fairly.