Russians aid Hungarians, 1919!

Just something I found out during my research for my To Each According timeline (see link in signature!)... Here it is: Bela Kun's Soviet Republic of Hungary was in dire straits at the end of July. Czechoslovakian forces had taken back the Slovakian Soviet Republic set up by Kun by July 17... so in order to remain popular, Kun ordered his army in an offensive against Romania to reclaim Transylvania. Well, you know how it went down: the Romanians stomped all over Bela Kun's red armies by August 1 and set Hungary straight. HOWEVER...

Bela Kun actually pleaded to Lenin for aid just before the offensive. Lenin actually promised Kun that he would send forces to attack Romania from behind and then send soldiers in to help support Bela Kun's administration. Some white Ukrainian forces, however, impeded the Russians at the last moment, and by the time they were done dealing with the Ukrainians, Hungary had fallen.

It wouldn't be too difficult to say that, for whatever reason, these Russian red troops are able to dodge the Ukrainian forces and arrive on the Romanian border by July 23rd. The Romanians have to split their forces in order to defend their backsides, and by then its too late: the Russians sweep down into Bucharest by August, while at that time the Hungarians take Transylvania. This is not only a massive PR boost for Bela Kun's regime: there is finally a connection between the Hungarian Soviet Republic and the RSFSR!

There are still white forces to deal with back in Russia, not to mention that the French and Czechoslovaks are going to be pissed off. It is certain that Bela Kun will turn back on Slovakia and Czechoslovakian soldiers as soon as he can... now with Russian aid. But its a great victory for communism. Red soviets spring up in Romania, and with the supporting Russian soldiers, begin a Red Terror of their own to consolidate control.

What happens next? Most likely the Russians pull back their troops to fight the White armies, while the Hungarians move on Slovakia. Czechoslovakia and Romania engage in a bitter series of battles, while Red-White civil war erupts in Romania. Allied forces eventually sweep them aside... but wait!

Combine this POD with a successful Russian re-taking of Poland and it could be all different. They finish the conquest by 1920, and for some reason Czechoslovakia and the Allies have yet to turn aside the Romanian Soviet Republic and the Hungarian Soviet Republic. Allies are now much more concerned about Poland, and so shift their funding. Slovakia falls due to Russian pressure from the north, and soon after the Bavarian Soviet Republic joins the Hungarians in stomping the Czechs!

Can anyone say European Soviet Socialist Republics?

Thought it was pretty interesting, hope you did too.

It is unlikely to happen because the Russian Civil War was still in progress. If the Soviets looked like they would defeat the Poles it might lead to allied intervention ( and the Germans had no love for the soviets either. The Soviet Republic of Hungary would face a threat from not only Romania but Czechoslovkia, Austria and Yugoslavia none of which wanted a Red controled ccountry near them.

True. I'm not saying it could work without massive divergences... But, in Gyorgy Borsanyi's The Life of a Communist Revolutionary, it is detailed that the Red Army was "on the verge of invading Romania to link up with Kun, however, military reversals in the Ukraine stopped the invasion just before it began."

So, if you believe that book, it was very possible that the Red Army could have moved into Romania from the north. And when you figure in the two fronts, it would be very possible for Romania to fall to the combined might of the Russians and Hungarians.

Furthermore, it did appear to everyone that the Soviets were about to defeat the Poles in 1920, if not for the Miracle on the Vistula in the Battle of Warsaw, and yet there was no allied intervention before then. After Poland falls... well, I bet the Allies would come to Poland's aid somehow, but it might be delayed. See Faeelin's Warsaw falls, 1920 a strike might occur to keep British soldiers from venturing out to do battle once more.

Austria and Yugoslavia might be able to put up a fight, but Czechoslovakia had been bested once before by the Hungarians in 1919, and Slovakia could be taken with united Russo-Hungarian might. Sure the Russian units will have to return to Russia to continue fighting in their Civil War, but they'll leave behind a Red Romania (perhaps when the Russians leave there will be an uprising against the Romanian Soviets, but it still buys Hungary time) and a continued stable Red Hungary and their puppet, Red Slovakia. This would definitely change up the post-armistice struggles of that time period.

Something like this for a short period, maybe?

I'm really tempted to picture Hungary as the second home of Trotsky instead of Mexico. Another Communist country, well another European communist country, can have a very big effect on marxism and various groups around the world. Will Stalin keep his Russia first verison of communism if a seperate, and weaker, communist state is right next to it? Heck would the politics which allowed Stalin come to power be the same if Hungary was Russia's ally? Sounds like nothing much, but think of the economic, military, and social effects of Russia having to think of other industrialized, and educated nations?

Do correct me if I am wrong but I believe Hungary had a greater precentage of educated people compared to Russia, so the events may have Bela Kun sticking with the traditional "Communism is for the Intellegent" stance.

Oh, definitely. Bela Kun thought the Russians as 'barbarians' and that Communism was more suited to the 'civilized people of Hungary'. But he was definitely more radical. I'm thinking Trotsky will be the heir to the Soviet Union if the Hungarian Soviet Republic holds out, though Stalin might just decide to convert to the 'permanent revolution' idea following his success in taking Poland, if that's a butterfly in this timeline. Then again, if Stalin does convert to Trotsky's ideas, then Trotsky will be the likelier heir again. So, in either case, a Trotsky USSR seems likely.

And with Trotsky, it seems the Soviet Union is destined to try and overexpand and then face defeat by a liberal democratic alliance.

Well sticking with the central idea of a surviving Hungarian Communist state, we must first answer just what it is. Is it the lapdog of Russia? Or is it early enough that Hungary actually has the industry to contribute to Russia to an extent which allows it clout in the Russian political circles?

Following WWI and the division of europe Hungary had kept 68% of its banks, 51% of its industrial workforce, 52% of its industry, and 82% of its heavy industry. Prior to the actions by Stalin Russia was not yet the industrial giant, but it still had a good industry none the less. However if my book on the Paris Peace Conference is anything to go on Hungary at the end of WWI had anywhere from a 1/4 to 1/3 of Russia's industry. The civil war destroyed alot of industry as all sides took what they could and left the rest to either rust of be overworked.

So perhaps we could see a period of Hungary refining some of the endless Russian resources? That gives the region money, a purpose, and no doubt the ability for expansion.

Then again it could be run over and made into the next state of the CCCP.