Hello I am new here, it was a bit difficult to join this forum, but finally I am here. I always wanted to share some historical "choke points" with others. I call these coke points, because history sometimes culminates in events, where if one of multiple decisions have happened differently, we would be in a completely different world. Some events are a bit more complex (a hundred or more variable), and others are simple enough.[sorry for my English].
Everything you read here happened in real life.
We are in 1940, the Kingdom of Hungary. (I don't want to explain trivial, well known, or easily accessible information, so sometimes I just post link to events.)
A brief explanation: Hungary lost 2/3-s if her territory after WW1, even to Austria which was on the same losing side. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Trianon
This left a bitter taste in the mouth of all Hungarians, especially the military. By the time of Hitler's rise to power, revisionism in Hungary was supported by almost 100% of the population. Obviously the government communicated these demands subtly or not so subtly to the neighboring Little Entente states, straining the relations.
The First Vienna Award, and the retaking of Transcarpathia mostly resolved the situation with Czecho-Slovakia, and Hungary was not in a position to start open aggression against Yugoslavia, the territorial integrity of Austria was also firm, since it was part of the Third Reich by then.
Thus remained Romania, whom relations were most hostile with. Romania received the largest bulk of territory, Hungarian population, natural resources and historic sites from Hungary in 1920.
The Hungarian Diaspora sent 103 petitions about human right violations to the League of Nations, half of which came from Transylvania. These were largely ignored, this and the Romanian refusal to even discuss these questions, further strengthened the cause of the revisionists.
After Hungary's "new" territorial acquisition in the north, and the German-Soviet invasion of Poland, Romania made some significant mobilizations, in answer to this Hungary ordered the partial mobilization of the army, and ordering full alert at the border. German diplomacy however prevented an armed conflict.
After he successful German attack against France, Romania partially mobilized, and 1.5 million strong contingent was sent to Transylvania. Hungary sent several corps to the border (the 13th, 27th of May). At this time Romania migrated further and further towards the Axis, halting the Hungarian plans.
On June 26th the Soviet Union demanded Bessarabia and Bukovina from Romania, and offered joint operations to Hungary, which was refused.
Later the Hungarian leadership decided that it is sound to cooperation with the Soviets, ordered full mobilization and sent the army to the border.
Hungary moved 550000 men to the border by July 13. The I., II., IV., and VI. corps making up the 1. Army were led by Nagy Vilmos. On the right were Jány Gusztáv with the III. and V. corps (2. Army.), and on the left flank were the 3. Army consisting VII. and VIII. corps under the leadership of Gorondy-Novák Elemér. Also the most modern and best-equipped mechanized unit, "Rapid Corps" were stationed in Transcarpathia.
The Romanians outnumbered the Hungarians, and also had more advanced weapons since the Treaty of Trianon severely handicapped the Hungarian military. However because of the long mobilization without actual fighting, distrust in officers, and the spreading of conflicting extremist ideologies moral was especially low. It also seemed that the Romanian economy couldn't sustain a long war.
The main strength of the Romanians were the Carol line, with 450000 soldiers, 270 tanks and 330 planes.
On the 26th of July, in Salzburg, at the German-Romanian meeting, Germany put heavy pressure on the Romanians to negotiate with Hungary a new, revised border. Despite this tensions have risen, and several border skirmishes occurred (numbering 72), mostly initiated by Romanians. Both parties delayed negotiations, leading to further tensions.
Talks between the 16th and 24th of August brought no solution, so the Hungarian leadership decided to solve the conflict by the means of war. One day before the end of negotiations, the main headquarters sent the instructions called "Guidelines for the initiation of military operations against Romania", to every commander.
The Hungarian forces would had to start the offensive at dawn, on the 28th of August.
However one hour before the attack, the news came to the Hungarians, that the Romanian ambassador in Berlin delivered his government's decision, to have the Axis powers resolve the situation, leading to the Second Vienna Award.
-----
What if...
The ambassador were late?
Or the news were late to Hungary?
Just one hour, and the joint Soviet-Hungarian attack would have sealed the faith of the Romanian oil fields, the Balkans, and maybe the whole war would have been entirely different.
What do you think?
Everything you read here happened in real life.
We are in 1940, the Kingdom of Hungary. (I don't want to explain trivial, well known, or easily accessible information, so sometimes I just post link to events.)
A brief explanation: Hungary lost 2/3-s if her territory after WW1, even to Austria which was on the same losing side. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Trianon
This left a bitter taste in the mouth of all Hungarians, especially the military. By the time of Hitler's rise to power, revisionism in Hungary was supported by almost 100% of the population. Obviously the government communicated these demands subtly or not so subtly to the neighboring Little Entente states, straining the relations.
The First Vienna Award, and the retaking of Transcarpathia mostly resolved the situation with Czecho-Slovakia, and Hungary was not in a position to start open aggression against Yugoslavia, the territorial integrity of Austria was also firm, since it was part of the Third Reich by then.
Thus remained Romania, whom relations were most hostile with. Romania received the largest bulk of territory, Hungarian population, natural resources and historic sites from Hungary in 1920.
The Hungarian Diaspora sent 103 petitions about human right violations to the League of Nations, half of which came from Transylvania. These were largely ignored, this and the Romanian refusal to even discuss these questions, further strengthened the cause of the revisionists.
After Hungary's "new" territorial acquisition in the north, and the German-Soviet invasion of Poland, Romania made some significant mobilizations, in answer to this Hungary ordered the partial mobilization of the army, and ordering full alert at the border. German diplomacy however prevented an armed conflict.
After he successful German attack against France, Romania partially mobilized, and 1.5 million strong contingent was sent to Transylvania. Hungary sent several corps to the border (the 13th, 27th of May). At this time Romania migrated further and further towards the Axis, halting the Hungarian plans.
On June 26th the Soviet Union demanded Bessarabia and Bukovina from Romania, and offered joint operations to Hungary, which was refused.
Later the Hungarian leadership decided that it is sound to cooperation with the Soviets, ordered full mobilization and sent the army to the border.
Hungary moved 550000 men to the border by July 13. The I., II., IV., and VI. corps making up the 1. Army were led by Nagy Vilmos. On the right were Jány Gusztáv with the III. and V. corps (2. Army.), and on the left flank were the 3. Army consisting VII. and VIII. corps under the leadership of Gorondy-Novák Elemér. Also the most modern and best-equipped mechanized unit, "Rapid Corps" were stationed in Transcarpathia.
The Romanians outnumbered the Hungarians, and also had more advanced weapons since the Treaty of Trianon severely handicapped the Hungarian military. However because of the long mobilization without actual fighting, distrust in officers, and the spreading of conflicting extremist ideologies moral was especially low. It also seemed that the Romanian economy couldn't sustain a long war.
The main strength of the Romanians were the Carol line, with 450000 soldiers, 270 tanks and 330 planes.
On the 26th of July, in Salzburg, at the German-Romanian meeting, Germany put heavy pressure on the Romanians to negotiate with Hungary a new, revised border. Despite this tensions have risen, and several border skirmishes occurred (numbering 72), mostly initiated by Romanians. Both parties delayed negotiations, leading to further tensions.
Talks between the 16th and 24th of August brought no solution, so the Hungarian leadership decided to solve the conflict by the means of war. One day before the end of negotiations, the main headquarters sent the instructions called "Guidelines for the initiation of military operations against Romania", to every commander.
The Hungarian forces would had to start the offensive at dawn, on the 28th of August.
However one hour before the attack, the news came to the Hungarians, that the Romanian ambassador in Berlin delivered his government's decision, to have the Axis powers resolve the situation, leading to the Second Vienna Award.
-----
What if...
The ambassador were late?
Or the news were late to Hungary?
Just one hour, and the joint Soviet-Hungarian attack would have sealed the faith of the Romanian oil fields, the Balkans, and maybe the whole war would have been entirely different.
What do you think?
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