First Vienna Award

The First Vienna Award was a treaty signed on 2 November 1938 at Vienna's Belvedere Palace. It happened because of the Munich Agreement from the month before, which led to the partitioning of Czechoslovakia.

Hungary wanted to get back lands it had lost. After World War I, Hungary had been forced to give up many areas under the Treaty of Trianon. Now, with support from Germany and Italy, Hungary tried to reclaim these territories peacefully.

The First Vienna Award took away parts of southern Slovakia and southern Carpathian Rus' from Czechoslovakia and gave them back to Hungary. These areas had many Hungarian people living there. Czechoslovakia also gave small pieces of land in Spiš and Orava to Poland.

Later, in March 1939, Adolf Hitler allowed Hungary to take the rest of Carpathian Rus', now called Carpatho-Ukraine. This moved Hungary's border north to meet Poland again.

After World War II, the 1947 Treaty of Paris said the Vienna Award was no longer valid.

Background

See also: Little Entente

From 1933, Hungary worked closely with Nazi Germany, hoping to change its borders set in the 1920 Treaty of Trianon. Hungary wanted to get back areas with many Hungarian people that it lost after World War I. In 1938, Germany and Hungary planned together to change the situation in Central Europe.

After the Munich Agreement, Hungary still wanted more land from Czechoslovakia. Hungary tried to pressure Czechoslovakia by causing small fights along their border and creating trouble inside the country. Because of this, Czechoslovakia agreed to discuss changing its borders with Hungary.

Pre-arbitration negotiations

Negotiations took place between October 9 and October 13, 1938, in Komárno, located on the Slovak side of the Danube River near the border with Hungary. The Czechoslovak team, led by Jozef Tiso, included Ferdinand Ďurčanský and General Rudolf Viest. The Hungarian team, led by Foreign Minister Kálmán Kánya and Education Minister Pál Teleki, was more experienced.

Hungary wanted areas where Hungarians made up at least 50% of the population based on the 1910 census. They also asked for a vote in other areas to decide if they should join Hungary. However, Czechoslovakia disagreed, arguing that the 1910 data was unfair and offered different solutions, like swapping populations or creating special zones. The talks ended without agreement, leading both countries to ask Germany and Italy to help decide the border.

Arbitration

The First Vienna Award was decided in Vienna by the foreign ministers of Germany and Italy. Leaders from Hungary and Czechoslovakia met to discuss the new border. The meeting happened at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna on November 2, 1938.

Both countries shared their views, but some leaders from parts of Czechoslovakia were not allowed to join the talks. After just a few hours, a new border was decided. The leaders were surprised by the outcome, and it took some convincing for everyone to agree to sign the document.

Results

Czechoslovakia had to give up some lands in southern Slovakia and southern Carpathian Ruthenia. This included towns like Senec, Galanta, Vráble, Levice, Lučenec, Rimavská Sobota, Jelšava, Rožnava, Košice, Michaľany, Veľké Kapušany, Uzhhorod, and Mukachevo. About 10,390 km² of land with around 854,000 people were transferred. Most of these people were Hungarians, but there were also many Slovaks, Czechs, Jews, Germans, and others.

After the award, Hungary took control of these areas. The Hungarian Army moved in, and the land was divided into new administrative parts. Some people in Hungary celebrated, while others were not happy with the changes.

Impacts

The First Vienna Award had major effects on the region and its people. It changed the relationship between Slovakia and Hungary, leading to increased tensions and anti-Hungarian feelings in Slovakia. The award was seen as a victory for Hungary but also caused problems for the new territories it gained.

The award also led to significant changes in Central Europe. Hungary took advantage of the situation to claim more land, and this contributed to the instability that eventually drew in larger powers like Germany. The changes set the stage for further conflict in the years to come.

In the areas that Hungary took over, life changed dramatically for many people. New rules were put in place, and many non-Hungarian groups faced difficulties. The economic situation also suffered, with many people losing jobs and facing harder times than before. Overall, the First Vienna Award had deep and lasting impacts on the lives of those living in the region.

Main article: 1938 deportation of Jews from Slovakia

Nullification

The Vienna Award was later declared invalid under international law, similar to the Munich Agreement. This was because the Czechoslovak government had agreed to the arbitration under pressure from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, as well as Hungarian demands.

In later years, several countries confirmed that the agreement was not valid. Britain stated it was no longer bound by the Munich Agreement. The Soviet Union also supported restoring Czechoslovakia’s borders to what they were before the Munich Agreement. Italy similarly declared the award invalid. This was finally confirmed in a peace treaty with Hungary in 1947, which set the border between the two countries back to its position before the Munich Agreement, with a small exception near Bratislava.

Main article: the peace treaty

Postwar persecutions

Main article: History of Czechoslovakia

After the events of the Munich Agreement and the First Vienna Award, the policies toward minorities in Czechoslovakia changed greatly. The Hungarian minority, which had enjoyed good rights before the war, faced discrimination and loss of property. Many Hungarians were required to leave Czechoslovakia through a population exchange.

Over time, relations between Czechoslovakia and Hungary began to improve. By 1949, the two countries signed agreements to work together peacefully and return items that had been taken. These steps helped to restore some trust between the two nations after the difficult years of conflict.