NO. 3
EDITORS
Peter Pastor
Ivan Sanders

Social Science Monographs, Boulder, Colorado
Center for Hungarian Studies and Publications, Inc.
Wayne, New Jersey
Distributed by Columbia University Press, New York
2003

Originally published as Budapest-Róma
Berlin Árnyékában
© 1998 by Réti György
© 2003 by Réti György
© 2003 by the Center for Hungarian Studies and
Publications, Inc.
47 Cecilia Drive, Wayne, New Jersey 07470–4649
E-mail: pastorp@mail.montclair.edu
Library of Congress Control Number 2003109661
ISBN 0–88033–523–8
Printed in the United States of America

FOREWORD Giuseppe Vedovato
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION ix xxi
1
Chapter One
THE DUAL FOREIGN POLICY ORIENTATION
OF THE GÖMBÖS GOVERNMENT 5
Gyula Gömbös Continues Bethlen’s Italian Orientation 5
The First Mussolini-Gömbös Meeting
Hitler’s Coming to Power
Kálmán Kánya’s Introductory Visit to Rome
The Four-Power Pact
Gömbös’s Visit to Berlin and the Dual Orientation
10
15
16
17
18
22
27
Gömbös’s Second Visit to Rome
Difficulties with the Gömbös Dual Orientation
The Mussolini-Gömbös-Dollfuss Meeting and the
Rome Protocols
The First Anschluss Attempt
The Marseilles Assassinations
Gömbös’s Fourth Visit to Rome
The Italian-French Rapprochement and the “Stresa Front”
The Temporary Estrangement of Italy and Hungary
The European Consequences of the Aggression against
Ethiopia
The Second Italian-Hungarian-Austrian Summit Meeting
65
70
33
44
46
49
56
62

vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Two
FORMATION OF THE BERLIN-ROME
AXIS AND HUNGARIAN FOREIGN POLICY
The Beginnings of the Italian-German Rapprochement
Death of Gyula Gömbös. Appointment of Kálmán Darányi
Creation of the Berlin-Rome Axis
The Ciano Negotiations in Vienna and Budapest
Miklós Horthy’s Visit to Italy
Italian-Yugoslav Agreement and Hungarian Diplomacy
On the Way to the Anschluss
The Italian Royal Couple and Ciano in Budapest
Renunciation of the Brocchi-Agreement
Mussolini’s Visit to Berlin
The Italian-Hungarian “Press War”
Alignment with Berlin
István Bethlen’s Visit to Rome
The Last Hungarian-Italian-Austrian Meeting
The Anschluss
The Italian and Hungarian Echoes of the Anschluss
Chapter Three
HUNGARIAN-ITALIAN RELATIONS
FROM THE ANSCHLUSS TO THE
REANNEXATION OF RUTHENIA
After the Anschluss
The Anschluss and Italian-Hungarian Relations
The First Czechoslovak Crisis
Béla Imrédy’s Visit to Rome
The Bled Agreement
Munich and Hungarian Foreign Policy
Accentuation of the Hungarian-Czechoslovak Differences
Csáky’s and Darányi’s Missions
The First Vienna Award
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115
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118
120
127
128
132
137
142
75
101
103
104
106
107
109
111
112
94
95
96
99
75
82
83
86

Failure of the Hungarian Action against Czechoslovakia
The resignation of Kálmán Kánya and the Appointment of István Csáky
Ciano’s Visit to Budapest in December 1938
Csáky’s Visit to Berlin
Hungary Joins the Anti-Comintern Pact
Fall of the Imrédy Government and the First Steps of the Teleki Government
Occupation of Ruthenia and the Italian-German Crisis of Confidence
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
145
148
150
152
153
154
156
Chapter Four
HUNGARIAN-ITALIAN RELATIONS
ON THE EVE OF WORLD WAR II
New Designs against Yugoslavia and the Occupation of Albania
The Visit of Pál Teleki and István Csáky in Rome
The “Polish Crisis”
The Pact of Steel
Attempts to Decrease German Pressure
Teleki’s July 24, 1939, Letter and Its Consequences
Csáky’s Visit to Berchtesgaden and to Rome
Rome and Budapest Stay Out of the War
Chapter Five
HUNGARIAN-ITALIAN RELATIONS
DURING THE WAR AGAINST POLAND
AND THE “PHONY WAR”
Hungarian-Italian Cooperation during the First Months of the War
The Plan for a Neutral Bloc and the Question of
Hungarian-Soviet Relations
159
159
163
167
170
173
176
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187
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viii TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Meeting of Ciano and Csáky in Venice
Differences of Opinion about the Soviet Union and the
Balkan Conference
Teleki’s Second Visit to Rome
Lipót Baranyai’s Mission to Rome
Loosening of Hungarian-Italian Relations
Teleki’s letters to Hitler and to Mussolini
Chapter Six
FROM ITALY’S ENTRY INTO THE
WAR TO THE TRIPARTITE PACT
Italy Enters the War
Further Exacerbation of the Hungarian-Romanian
Antagonism
The Meeting in Munich on July 10, 1940
Visit of the Romanian Prime Minister in Rome
Teleki’s Aide-Mémoire of August 3
Plan of the Italian-Hungarian Action against Yugoslavia
The Second Vienna Award
The Growth of German Influence and the Waning of Italian Influence in Hungary
Hungary and the Berlin Tripartite Pact
Horthy’s Letter to Mussolini
Italy Attacks Greece
Italy and the Strain in Hungarian-Romanian Relations
Hungary Joins the Tripartite Pact
EPILOGUE
NOTES
MAP
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
BOOKS PUBLISHED BY CHSP
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