Serbian–Hungarian Baranya–Baja Republic

Quick Facts: Who was Serbian–Hungarian Baranya–Baja Republic?

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Serbian–Hungarian Baranya–Baja Republic

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Short-lived, Soviet-oriented state proclaimed in occupied Hungarian territory after WWI.

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Origins & Early Life

The Serbian–Hungarian Baranya–Baja Republic (Hungarian: Baranya-Bajai Szerb-Magyar Köztársaság, Serbian: Српско-мађарска република Барања-Баја / Srpsko-mađarska republika Baranja-Baja) was a small, short-lived and Soviet-oriented state, proclaimed in Pécs on 14 August 1921, on occupied Hungarian territory during the peacemaking aftermath of the first World War, tolerated and fostered by the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Its territory included the geographical region of Baranya and the northern part of Bačka region, as well as a portion of the Banat. The republic was established on 14 August 1921 and was dissolved on 20 August 1921. The area of southern Hungary was occupied by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes' army and was administered by the people's administration from Novi Sad. Following the defeat of Béla Kun's Hungarian Soviet Republic in the summer of 1919, many communist dissidents from Budapest, escaping from the "white terror" of Admiral Miklós Horthy, emigrated to Baranya, where Béla Linder, mayor of Pécs, gave them refuge.

Career & Major Achievements

Linder, the military attaché of the Hungarian Soviet Republic based in Vienna in Austria, became the mayor of Pécs in September 1920. In the Great People's Assembly of Pécs on 14 August, where in front of 15–20,000 people painter Petar Dobrović suggested the formation of independent republic that would include region of Baranya and northern part of Bačka around Baja. Petar Dobrović became president of executive committee of the new Republic. However, the authorities of the new republic did not manage to gain international recognition, and since the withdrawal of the Yugoslav kingdom's army, Horthy's forces entered into region and put an end to the Republic. From 21–25 August 1921, the region was reintegrated into Hungary, represented by Commissioner Károly Soós Bádoki, as had been allocated at the Treaty of Trianon of 1920.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Most of the inhabitants of the republic were ethnic Hungarians, while other ethnic groups that lived in the area included Croats, Serbs, Germans, Romanians, Slovaks and others. According to the Serbian census in 1919, the population of Pécs consisted of 14485 south Slavs, 17,901 Hungarians, 14549 Germans According to the Hungarian census in 1920, the population of Pécs consisted of 45 Serbs, 326 Croats, 40,655 Hungarians, 5034 Germans This differences clearly demonstrate the Serb efforts of annexation, moreover, at the Serbian Census, they had to calculate the members of the Serbian Army into the census because there was a classified order about this. The President of the Executive Committee (14–20 August 1921), i.e. President of the Republic, was Petar Dobrović (1890–1942), an ethnic Serb. Dimitrije Boarov, Politička istorija Vojvodine, Novi Sad, 2001. Leslie Charles Tihany, The Baranya dispute, 1918–1921: diplomacy in the vortex of ideologies, East European quarterly, distributed by Columbia University Press (Boulder [Colo.], New York), 1978.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1890: 1890 Milestone — President of the Republic, was Petar Dobrović (1890–1942), an ethnic Serb.
2. 1918: 1918 Milestone — Leslie Charles Tihany, The Baranya dispute, 1918–1921: diplomacy in the vortex of ideologies, East European quarterly, distributed by Columbia University Press (Boulder [Colo.
3. 1919: 1919 Milestone — Following the defeat of Béla Kun's Hungarian Soviet Republic in the summer of 1919, many communist dissidents from Budapest, escaping from the "white terror" of Admiral Miklós Horthy, emigrated to Baranya, where Béla Linder, mayor of Pécs, gave them refuge.
4. 1920: 1920 Milestone — Linder, the military attaché of the Hungarian Soviet Republic based in Vienna in Austria, became the mayor of Pécs in September 1920.
5. 1921: 1921 Milestone — The Serbian–Hungarian Baranya–Baja Republic (Hungarian: Baranya-Bajai Szerb-Magyar Köztársaság, Serbian: Српско-мађарска република Барања-Баја / Srpsko-mađarska republika Baranja-Baja) was a small, short-lived and Soviet-oriented state, proclaimed in Pécs on 14 August 1921, on occupied Hungarian territory during the peacemaking aftermath of the first World War, tolerated and fostered by the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
6. 2001: 2001 Milestone — Dimitrije Boarov, Politička istorija Vojvodine, Novi Sad, 2001.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Serbian–Hungarian Baranya–Baja Republic

True or False: “The Serbian–Hungarian Baranya–Baja Republic was recognized by the major world powers immediately following its proclamation in 1921.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The republic failed to gain international recognition, and its existence was curtailed when Horthy's forces entered the region.

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