Διάγγελμα που μεταδόθηκε από το Ουγγρικό ραδιόφωνο στις 15 Οκτωβρίου 1944
Στο θέμα αυτό όλες μας οι ελπίδες στη Κοινωνία των Εθνών . παρέμειναν ανεκπλήρωτες.
At the time of the beginning of a new world crisis, Hungary was not led by any desire to acquire new territories. We had no aggressive intention against the Republic of Czechoslovakia, and Hungary did not wish to regain by war territories taken from her. We entered the Bácska only after the collapse of Yugoslavia and, at the time, in order to defend our blood brethren. We accepted a peaceful arbitration of the Axis powers regarding the Eastern territories taken from us in 1918 by Rumania.
Hungary was forced into war against the Allies by German pressure, which weighed upon us owing to our geographical situation. But even so we were not guided by any ambition to increase our own power and had no intention to snatch as much as a square metre of territory from anybody.
Today it is obvious to any sober-minded person that the German Reich has lost the war. All governments responsible for the destiny of their countries must draw the appropriate conclusions from this fact, for as a great German statesman, Bismarck, once said, “No nation ought to sacrifice itself on the altar of an alliance.
“Conscious of my historic responsibility, I have the obligation to undertake every step directed to avoiding further unnecessary bloodshed. A nation that allowed the soil inherited from its forefathers to be turned into a theatre of rearguard actions in an already lost war, defending alien interests out of a serflike spirit, would lose the esteem of public opinion throughout the world.
With grief I am forced to state that the German Reich on its part broke the loyalty of an ally towards our country a long time ago. For a considerable time 321 it has thrown formation after formation of the Hungarian armed forces into battle outside the frontiers of the country against my express wish and will.”
In March of this year, however, the Fuehrer of the German Reich invited me to negotiation in consequence of my urgent demand for the repatriation of Hungary’s armed forces. There he informed me that Hungary would be occupied by German forces and he ordered this to be carried out in spite of my protests, even while I was retained abroad. Simultaneously German political police invaded the country and arrested numerous Hungarian citizens, among them several Members of Parliament as well as the Minister of the Interior of my government then in office.
The Premier himself evaded detention only by taking refuge in a neutral legation. After having received a firm promise by the Fuehrer of the German Reich that he would cancel acts that violated and restricted Hungary’s sovereignty, should I appoint a government enjoying the confidence of the Germans, I appointed the Sztójay Government.”
“Yet the Germans did not keep their promise. Under cover of the German occupation the Gestapo tackled the Jewish question in a manner incompatible with the dictates of humanity, applying methods it had already employed elsewhere. When war drew near our frontiers, and even passed them, the Germans repeatedly promised assistance, yet again they failed to honour their promise.”
During their retreat they turned the country’s sovereign territory over to looting and destruction. These actions, contrary to an ally’s loyalty, were crowned by an act of open provocation. Lieutenant-General Szilárd Bakay, military commander of Budapest, was treacherously attacked and abducted by Gestapo agents in the very center of the city, exploiting the bad visibility of a foggy October morning when he was getting out of his car in front his home.
Subsequently German aircraft dropped leaflets against the government in office. I received reliable information that troops of pro-German tendency intended to raise their own men to power by using force to effect a political upheaval and the overthrow of the legal Hungarian Government which I had in the meantime appointed, and that they intended to turn their country’s
territory into a theatre of rearguard actions for the German Reich.
I decided to safeguard Hungary’s honour even against her former ally, although this ally, instead of supplying the promised military help, meant
finally to rob the Hungarian nation of its greatest treasure, its freedom and independence.
I informed a representative of the German Reich that we were about to conclude a military armistice1 with our former enemies and to cease all hostilities against them.
Trusting in your love of truth, I hope to secure, of one accord with you, the continuity of our nation’s life in the future and the realization of our peaceful aims.
Commanders of the Hungarian Army have received appropriate orders from me. Accordingly, the troops, loyal to their oath and following an Order of the Day now issued simultaneously, must obey the commanders appointed by me. I appeal to every honest Hungarian to follow me on this path, beset by sacrifices, that will lead to Hungary’s salvation.
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου