AHC: Romanian Szeklers, Hungarian Slovaks

With a POD of your choice (but the more recent the better) involving the least amount of butterfly effects as possible given the circumstances, make it that in the 20th century both these statements are true:

1) Szeklers in the old Kingdom of Hungary, but especially in Transylvania consider themselves to be Hungarian-speaking Romanians/Vlachs

2) Slovaks in the old Kingdom of Hungary, but especially in Upper Hungary consider themselves to be Slavic-speaking Magyars (let's call this "Tóthok")

(I think this would have solved a lot)


What would such a scheme mean after (an alt) WWI in your opinion?
 
Number 1 is slowly becoming OTL at least for some Szeklers.

I've read an article that an increasing number of Szeklers visit Hungary and receive a culture shock from modern Hungarian culture, which they perceive as too Western, liberal, atheistic and individualistic for their taste, and after this they go back to Romania which feels somehow closer to their tastes.
 
With a POD of your choice (but the more recent the better) involving the least amount of butterfly effects as possible given the circumstances, make it that in the 20th century both these statements are true:

1) Szeklers in the old Kingdom of Hungary, but especially in Transylvania consider themselves to be Hungarian-speaking Romanians/Vlachs

2) Slovaks in the old Kingdom of Hungary, but especially in Upper Hungary consider themselves to be Slavic-speaking Magyars (let's call this "Tóthok")

(I think this would have solved a lot)


What would such a scheme mean after (an alt) WWI in your opinion?
Interesting.
Can't say much about Szeklers. Slovaks? If when Slovak awakening started it was not seen from Hungarian side with such contempt, it;s very possible. After all for some time Hungarian kingdom existed only on Slovak territory during wars against Turkey and this times are remembered till today as fight against enslavement by Turks. King Matthias is remembered in Slovak folk stories as good king. Many Slovaks from lower nobility fought for Hungary as can be said of regular soldiers. Field Marshal Andras Hadik had some Slovak roots, longest serving soldier in world hussar Ladislav (Laszlo) Skultety was from Slovak area of Hungarian kingdom. And there were many other. For example Alexander Stefan Rudnay de Rudna et Divékujfalu Prince Primate of Kingdom of Hungary was of Slovak ethnicity. His statement „Slavus sum, et si in catedra Petri forem, Slavus ero.“ (I am a Slav, and I shall remain one, even if I were to sit in the Chair of Saint Peter.) talks for itself.
They served kingdom. During WWI app. 70 000 Slovaks were killed fighting for A-H. When Czechoslovak republic was declared population was slowly deciding if to support Czechoslovakia or new Hungary which promised in 1918 Slovaks much more rights and autonomy. In my opinion if not for oppression and forceful Hungarization in 19th and early 20th century I believe they would much widely support staying with Hungary or situation would never get so far.

If i remember correctly till 1846 Latin was used as more or less official language in Hungarian kingdom - used in parliament. However even before with Germanization Hungarians came with preferring Hungarian and of course Slovaks started to push for Slovak language on territories when their dominated and tensions become more frequent.

If Hungarian were able to support Slovaks in predominantly Slovak territory some time before Hungarian revolution 1848 maybe it could be way you described it.

On other side it express Slovaks on their way to independence. Maybe if Turkish threat stayed longer on southern borders and common enemy was pressing them to keep together? ;)
 
I think in the case of the Magyar language, you need the opposite, you need a Magyar "Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts" done by King Matyas or something similar before Mohacs. The idea is that Magyar language itself is not regarded as something foreign in Upper Hungary, but rather the logical "common language" of the kingdom.

For Szeklers to consider themselves Romanian, I don't know, perhaps mainstream Hungarian nationalism takes a very "lobonc" route, with an earlier Ausgleich, and the Szeklers develop a very "kuruc" identity. Perhaps a longer Romanian rule over Transylvania in the 1500s-1700s (think Michael the Brave) that is not necessarily against Magyar interests at the time and fondly remembered by those who regard themselves as "kuruc".

Really bump....
 
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