Flag of the
Abov-Turňa Domain (ATD) from the Sparrow Avengers universe.
The chaotic years that followed the collapse of Austria-Hungary ("The Disunion Wars") and the resulting fallout in the form of the entire region's balkanization (led by various offshoots of the Regionalist Movement) had left the territory of the former
Abov-Turňa/Abaúj-Torna county between a rock and a hard place.
Unlike most other successor states and statelets, it was a historical and administrative region that, outside of
Košice, had virtually no cities and very little in the way of bigger towns. The same problem occured with its industrial base and future economic prospects. But the livelihoods of the region weren't the only issue. Another one was the exact political status. With no local power base strong enough to form a coherent central government, Abov-Turňa cautiously awaited the pretenders to its humble throne. After the Košice City State's military campaign against the Hungarian Reds (backed by secret reinforcements from the newly procclaimed Kingdom of Gemer and official reinforcements from the League of Nations) proved succesful, the issue of the future fate of the Abov-Turňa territories finally arose.
While the purge of the Reds in Hungary by monarchist and nationalist forces was still continuing, admiral Horthy and other members of his provisional government knew they had little time to spare if they wanted to sort out the demarcation lines of the Disunion Wars in a way that was favourable to the renewed Motherland. Though troubled by the emergence of the new statelets and their eeking out of territory from the former counties, the new Hungarian gov realized all too well that an aggressive landgrab would not work anytime soon. A concession to "
those crazed regionalist rebels" would have to be made. Nevertheless, a gesture of "showing the flag" would be required as well. After a lengthy and exhaustive campaign of intimidation and crackdown on regionalist resistance cells by the rump remains of the honvédség, the southern third of Abov/Abaúj was fully reintegrated into the post-war Hungarian state. Phase 1 had ended, phase 2 would immediately follow: Pretend that a landgrab is imminent and wait for how the new governments to the north and the LoN diplomats will react. In this Brave New Central Europe of the early 1920s, scheming, ruses and subterfuge were often more useful than any display of brute power.
The shoddy alliance of a dozen of local Abov-Turňa government councils were not thrilled when hearing of the news about "the reclamation". Despite repeated appeals to the Košice City State's government, even with the help of LoN ambassadors, the KCS refused the idea of taking over the city's surrounding region wholesale, merging it with itself to form a far larger new country. After weeks of fruitless attempts at convincing the stubborn and somewhat snobbish city slickers, the KCS finally caved in after increasing pressure from Horthy's government, the LoN and the KOG's ruling
Andrássy family ("
You know, having Torna and a chunk of western Abaúj wouldn't be too shaby..."). The debate took two more weeks, but reached a favourable conclusion. New national borders were finally agreed upon and set up. "Rebel Abov-Turňa" received its long-awaited new political status. It was declared independent. But not entirely, erm, "sovereign independent"... Due to the KCS unwillingness to relinquish its already existing statehood and annex new territory, the KCS was made "
the official overseer and automatic ally of Abov-Turňa, which will be henceforth known as the Abov-Turňa Domain (official name chosen at the request of the KCS government)".
So, what about the Abov-Turňa Domain of today, the late 1930s ? While nominally an independent country, it is:
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de iure "a successor statelet of Austria-Hungary in free association with the Košice City State", as decreed and signed in the 1921 Central European Emergency Charter of the League of Nations
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de facto little more than a well-run protectorate of the Košice City State (because "domain" is a lot lovelier word for such a scary-sounding concept, right ?
)
Even nearly 20 years afterward, the political status of the Abov-Turňa Domain remains fairly unique. On one hand, it hasn't prevented the country from becoming a multiparty democracy and from prospering and further developing on an economic, social, cultural and even military level (indeed, the national administration prides itself with its impressive little air force just as often as with its schools and libraries). On the other hand, despite what any public speech or official statement might tell you, the Domain remains in a kind of geopolitical limbo. As far as major military, domestic and foreign policies are concerned, it's the government of the KCS that's really pulling the strings behind the well-meaning facade of the ATD national administration.
And, when it comes to playing the role of benefactor and ally, the Andrássy family and their Kingdom of Gemer are no slouches either...
The flag and national coat of arms incorporate the colours and charges from
the coat of arms of the former Abov-Turňa/Abaúj-Torna country.