Béla Linder
Encyclopedia
Béla Linder Hungarian colonel
of artillery
, Secretary of War of Mihály Károlyi
government, minister without portfolio
of Dénes Berinkey
government, military attaché
of Hungarian Soviet Republic
based in Vienna
, finally the mayor of Pécs
during the period of Serb occupation.
, and when the heir to the throne was assassinated, Lindert was (...) kicked out of the military leadership staff". Presumably after this incident he was actively looking for contact with people who were seeking change.
In 1918, during the so-called "Aster Revolution
" his career suddenly rocketed from colonel
status to Secretary of War on 31 October 1918. He swore to the government of Mihály Károlyi
in front of the Hungarian Parliament on 2 November 1918.
During the swearing-in ceremony (wearing a red tie and being drunk) he spoke the infamous words: "[T]raditions of a thousand years and slavery of a thousand years had to be demolished. Five years of war were needed, thousands and thousands of deaths were needed so that a new victorious life could emerge from it. This new victorious life is born under pacifism
. (...) No need for armies anymore! I do not want to see any soldiers anymore! (...) Make an oath that you will bring up your children in such a way that the possibility of war is shut out!"
Referring to the negotiations with the Entente Cordiale
, the Ministry of Military led by Linder sent a telegraph to the Foreign Office on 6 November 1918 to order the German troops onto the banks of Danube
and Sava, which they refused.
Later the complete honvéds of the ex-Austrian-Hungarian army were asked to return and to hand over all weapons. This led to Hungary being totally defenseless.
.
On 7 November there were already negotiations in Belgrade
between the delegation led by Mihály Károlyi
and the commander of eastern Entente troops, general Franchet d'Esperey. On 13 November, Linder signed the cease-fire agreement, together with General Henrys (commander of French Eastern Army) and voivode Živojin Mišić
(commander general of the Serb army).
During the period of the Hungarian Soviet Republic
, he was engaged in numerous diplomatic moves as the military attaché
of the Ministry of Military in Vienna
(2 May – 5 August 1919).
. At this time Pécs was still occupied by the Serb army, even though there was a valid border agreement with Entente.
Later he was the leader of the Pécs-Baranya Republic and on 14 August 1921 of the Baranya–Baja Serbian–Hungarian Republic. The latter republic was upheld for eight days, and its president was painter Petar Dobrović
.
When the Serb troops left the Baranya
region for Yugoslavia
on 14 August 1921, Linder joined them.
's Yugoslavia honoured him, and he received an honorary tomb in Belgrade.
However, Hungarians condemn him as he had a significant part in the borders of the Republic of Hungary being set disadvantageously at the Treaty of Trianon
and Hungary had no armies to counter the inordinate demands of the Little Entente
.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, Secretary of War of Mihály Károlyi
Mihály Károlyi
Count Mihály Ádám György Miklós Károlyi de Nagykároly was briefly Hungary's leader in 1918-19 during a short-lived democracy...
government, minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
of Dénes Berinkey
Dénes Berinkey
Dénes Berinkey was a Hungarian jurist and politician who served as prime minister in the regime of Mihály Károlyi for two months in 1919. On March 20, 1919 the French presented the Vix Note ordering Hungarian troops further back into Hungary; it was widely assumed that the military lines would be...
government, military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
of Hungarian Soviet Republic
Hungarian Soviet Republic
The Hungarian Soviet Republic or Soviet Republic of Hungary was a short-lived Communist state established in Hungary in the aftermath of World War I....
based in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, finally the mayor of Pécs
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
during the period of Serb occupation.
Secretary of War for nine days
The father of Béla Linder was of Jewish origin, and was "part of the inner circle of Franz FerdinandArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia...
, and when the heir to the throne was assassinated, Lindert was (...) kicked out of the military leadership staff". Presumably after this incident he was actively looking for contact with people who were seeking change.
In 1918, during the so-called "Aster Revolution
Aster Revolution
The Aster Revolution or Chrysanthemum Revolution was a revolution in Hungary led by leftist liberal count Mihály Károlyi, who founded the Hungarian Democratic Republic....
" his career suddenly rocketed from colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
status to Secretary of War on 31 October 1918. He swore to the government of Mihály Károlyi
Mihály Károlyi
Count Mihály Ádám György Miklós Károlyi de Nagykároly was briefly Hungary's leader in 1918-19 during a short-lived democracy...
in front of the Hungarian Parliament on 2 November 1918.
During the swearing-in ceremony (wearing a red tie and being drunk) he spoke the infamous words: "[T]raditions of a thousand years and slavery of a thousand years had to be demolished. Five years of war were needed, thousands and thousands of deaths were needed so that a new victorious life could emerge from it. This new victorious life is born under pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
. (...) No need for armies anymore! I do not want to see any soldiers anymore! (...) Make an oath that you will bring up your children in such a way that the possibility of war is shut out!"
Referring to the negotiations with the Entente Cordiale
Entente Cordiale
The Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic. Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial expansion addressed by the agreement, the signing of the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a millennium of intermittent...
, the Ministry of Military led by Linder sent a telegraph to the Foreign Office on 6 November 1918 to order the German troops onto the banks of Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and Sava, which they refused.
Later the complete honvéds of the ex-Austrian-Hungarian army were asked to return and to hand over all weapons. This led to Hungary being totally defenseless.
Minister without portfolio
Criticised for his dilettantism, he resigned as Secretary of War on 9 November, but he kept his membership in the government. His task was to lead the negotiations for the preparations of the peace treatyTreaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
.
On 7 November there were already negotiations in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
between the delegation led by Mihály Károlyi
Mihály Károlyi
Count Mihály Ádám György Miklós Károlyi de Nagykároly was briefly Hungary's leader in 1918-19 during a short-lived democracy...
and the commander of eastern Entente troops, general Franchet d'Esperey. On 13 November, Linder signed the cease-fire agreement, together with General Henrys (commander of French Eastern Army) and voivode Živojin Mišić
Živojin Mišic
Živojin Mišić OKS GCMG was a Vojvoda and the most successful Serbian commander who participated in all Serbia's wars from 1876 to 1918.-Early years:Misic's grandfather was born in Struganik near Mionica...
(commander general of the Serb army).
During the period of the Hungarian Soviet Republic
Hungarian Soviet Republic
The Hungarian Soviet Republic or Soviet Republic of Hungary was a short-lived Communist state established in Hungary in the aftermath of World War I....
, he was engaged in numerous diplomatic moves as the military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
of the Ministry of Military in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(2 May – 5 August 1919).
Activities in Baranya, fleeing abroad
After the collapse of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, he joined the Socialist Party, and on 23 September 1920 he became the mayor of PécsPécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
. At this time Pécs was still occupied by the Serb army, even though there was a valid border agreement with Entente.
Later he was the leader of the Pécs-Baranya Republic and on 14 August 1921 of the Baranya–Baja Serbian–Hungarian Republic. The latter republic was upheld for eight days, and its president was painter Petar Dobrović
Petar Dobrovic
Petar Dobrović was a famous Serbian painter and politician born in Hungary.A proponent of Serbian colorism, he was known for portraits and landscapes...
.
When the Serb troops left the Baranya
Baranya (region)
Baranya or Baranja is a geographical region between the Danube and the Drava rivers. Its territory is divided between Hungary and Croatia...
region for Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
on 14 August 1921, Linder joined them.
His remembrance
Linder lived in Yugoslavia till his death. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Josip Broz TitoJosip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
's Yugoslavia honoured him, and he received an honorary tomb in Belgrade.
However, Hungarians condemn him as he had a significant part in the borders of the Republic of Hungary being set disadvantageously at the Treaty of Trianon
Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
and Hungary had no armies to counter the inordinate demands of the Little Entente
Little Entente
The Little Entente was an alliance formed in 1920 and 1921 by Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia with the purpose of common defense against Hungarian revision and the prevention of a Habsburg restoration...
.