Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: I n November 1918, after the end of the First World War, several hundred thousand prisoners of war were waiting in Italy to return to their home countries.Most came from the territory of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which had been dissolved during their absence.Many became prisoners on the last day of the war due to some discrepancies in the interpretation of the armistice, and a large amount did not realize that their status as prisoners of war may cause their return home to be delayed for up to one and half years.During this time, the hinterland was undergoing continuous change.The successor countries of the monarchy fought for territories and resources, a fact that had become obvious not only for the participants of the Paris Peace Conference, but also for the various affected populaces given that several armed incidents -even a prolonged war in Hungary -caused unrest in the civil sphere.The situation was further aggravated by the spread of Bolshevik ideology towards the West, which resulted in the establishment of a few Republics of Councils in several Central European countries.Of these, the Hungarian Republic of Councils is special, among other reasons, because ideological tensions were mixed with a fundamentally nationalist war fought for territorial integrity.The POWs had access to assorted press reports and therefore had the opportunity to follow events in their home countries.Of course this led to many prisoners moving to take action as the hopelessness they faced in captivity was further aggravated by an Abstract JUHÁSZ, Balázs.Hungarian POWs in Italy and Their Future Prospects After WWI.For many Hungarian soldiers in Italy, 3 and 4 November 1918 meant not the armistice and a return home, but the beginning of a prolonged stay in one of the Italian prison camps.It is widely known why these soldiers fell into captivity, but their prospects of returning home are still somewhat unclear.The topic is particularly interesting since some of the Hungarian soldiers were to return to a different country from the one they left given that from 1918-1919 onward, their native land now belonged to one of the successor states of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.The issue of ethnicity was entwined with various political and ideological concerns in regard to which ethnic groups returned home first and for what reasons.In fact, there were some attempts made by Hungarian counter-revolutionary groups in Vienna, Arad and later in Szeged, to demand the release of Hungarian POWs so they could be enlisted in a war against the Hungarian Republic of Councils.The situation in Italy should not be overlooked as well, given that prisoners were generally an important labour force for them.We must mention also the Paris Peace Conference which addressed the future of these POWs.In view of the abovementioned, the topic cannot be viewed only from the Italian or Hungarian perspective.This study deals with the various aspects of Hungarian POWs' returning home after the Armistice of Villa Giusti.
Source: Forum Historiae
Author: Balázs Juhász
Institution: Eötvös Loránd University
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3176181296