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Carpathian Ruthenia/Carpatho-Ukraine was before World War I an area of northeastern Hungary within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It had a large Ukranian population. (The Austro-Hungarioan Empire used the term Ruthenian for Ukranian.) The western area had a Slovak population. The Paris Peace Conference assigned the region go Czechoslovakia (1919). It was claimed by the soviet Union, the Ukraine, Romania, and Hungary. Czechoslovakia was the only realistic alternative. The Ukraine was unstable and would be absorbed by the Soviet Union. The Soviets were focused on their war with Poland. Arms were run to the Poles through the region. Hungarian Magarization campaigns had made the Hungarians very unpopular in the region. The region was very poor and underdeveloped. Under Czech rule it enjoyed a degree of autonmy and was the receipents of major efforts to improve the infrastructyure and education. Unlike neighboring countries, the Ukranian language was not suopressed. And by remaining separate from the Ukraine, the region escaped Stalins colectivization and famine in the Ukraine ityself (early-1930s). Immediately after the implementation of the Munich Agreement (September 29, 1938) stripping Czechoslovakia lost of its western border regions by Nazi Germany), Carpathian Ruthenia and Slovakia declared their autonomy within Czechoslovakia, which Prague accepted fearing German intervention. The autonomous Carpathian Ruthenia (Subcarpathian Ruthenia) changed its name to Carpatho-Ukraine (November 1938).
Under the terms of the First Vienna Award flowing from the the Munich agreement, Nazi Germany and Italy pressured Czechoslovakia to cede the southern third of Slovakia and southern Carpatho-Ukraine to Hungary (November 1938). Hungary moved troops to the border, but because of the strength of the Czech Army did not invade to seize the area. We are not entirely sure of Hitler's motives here, but it served Hitler's purposes in a variety of ways. First it weakened Czechoslovakia further, a country that was desposed to the Allies and which Hitler hated with a passion. Second, it helped reduce the view of Munich Conference as veiled German agression by involving another country, namely Hungary. Third, it helped bring Hungary further into the NAZI orbit by providing territory that the Hungarians had coveted. The Second Vienna Award (August 1940) affected Romania. Hitler then invaded and seized most of what was left of the Czech Lands (March 1939). At this time, Slovakia and Carpatho-Ukraine declared independence. With the Czech Army stood down, the Hungarians invaded. Iregular Carpatho-Ukraine forces were unable to reist. The province was primarily Ukranian, but there was a Hungarian minority. One source suggests a population of 0.7 million Hungarians. The area remained a part of Hungary until the Germans seized control of their former Hungarian ally (early-1944). The Germans just before the arrival of the Soviets rounded up Jews in the province and transsported them to Auschwitz where they were murdered. The Red Army occupied the province (late-1944). After the War it was annexed by the Soviet Union as psrt of the Ukraine.
The eastern-most province of Czechoslovakia was Ruthenia. The population included large numbers of ethnic Hungarians along with Ukranians. Ruthenians and Ruthenia itself have a complicated history. This is the case of many provinces that did not sucessfuly establish themselves as nation states. It is a geographic and culturo-ethnic term created by the Austrians to describe an area Eastern Europe populated by Eastern Slavic peoples. The geopgraphic area has varied overtime, but has centered on the Carpethian mountains between Russia, the Ukraine, Hungary, and Poland. And these and other states have overtime controlled Ruthenia. Ruthenia is a Latin-based term describing the ancient Rus. The new states of Slovakia and Belarus now have entered into the geographic equation. Ruthenians ethbically and culturally seem to have most in common with Uktanians and the Austrians prepered the term in part because it separated the Ruthenians from the Russian controlled Ukranians. Ruthenia was the northeastern areaa of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and controlled by the Hungarians who pursued a policy of Hungarianization.
Ruthenia had been a battleground between the Austrians and Russians during World War I. It was claimed by the soviet Union, the Ukraine, Romania, and Hungary. The Paris Peace Conference assigned the region go Czechoslovakia (1919). The post-World War I peace settlement had awarded most of Ruthenia to Hungary, but this northern area was awarded to Czechoslovakia. This was formalized in the Treaty of Trianon (1920), but Hungary continue to covet the area.
Immediately after the implementation of the Munich Agreement (September 29, 1938) stripping Czechoslovakia lost of its western border regions by Nazi Germany), Carpathian Ruthenia and Slovakia declared their autonomy within Czechoslovakia, which Prague accepted fearing German intervention. The autonomous Carpathian Ruthenia (Subcarpathian Ruthenia) changed its name to Carpatho-Ukraine (November 1938).
Under the terms of the First Vienna Award flowing from the the Munich agreement, Nazi Germany and Italy pressured Czechoslovakia to cede the southern third of Slovakia and southern Carpatho-Ukraine to Hungary (November 1938). Hungary moved troops to the border, but because of the strength of the Czech Army did not invade to seize the area. We are not entirely sure of Hitler's motives here, but it served Hitler's purposes in a variety of ways. First it weakened Czechoslovakia further, a country that was desposed to the Allies and which Hitler hated with a passion. Second, it helped reduce the view of Munich Conference as veiled German agression by involving another country, namely Hungary. Third, it helped bring Hungary further into the NAZI orbit by providing territory that the Hungarians had coveted.
After the Munich Cinference, Ruthenian leaders pressed for autonomy which the Czech Goberment granted (October 11).
Hungary was a German ally and as Germany prepared to invade Czechoslovakia, the Hungarians mobilized along te western border of Czechoslovakia (Ruthenia and Slovakia) (late-September). Some 300,000 Hungarian troops positioned themselves in the boeder. They were ill trained and poorly equipped. The invasion was a bluff, but Admiral Horthy calculated that the German invasion woukd destroy the Czech Army so all he needed was an occuoation firce.
After the Munich Agreement avoided war, the Hungarians remained deployed on the Slovak-Ruthenian border. They reportedly had very limited supplies, especially artillery shells. Hitler encouraged the Hungarians to keep pressurung the Czechs. The Czechs knew, however, that the Germans would invade if they attacked the Hungarians.
Hungarian Minister of the Interior, Miklós Kozma, had been born in Carpatho-Ukraine and he wanted it to be part of Hungary. Th Interior (security or police) Ministry as Hitler began targettung Czechoslovakia, began to arm the
Rongyos Garda (Ragged Guard) (mid-1938). The began to infiltrate guerilla units into southern Slovakia and Subcarpathia. The resulting clashes had the potential for launching an actual war. While Hitler wanted tom pressure the Czechs, he was not yet ready for an actual war so soon after Munich.
Hitler and Mussolini to dampen down the situation on the Hungarian-Czech border pressed the Czech Government after the Munich Conference to accept German mediation. This was became knon as the First Vienna Award. Te German arbitrator as might be expected found in favor of the Hungarains. It was largely a sharade as Hitler wa already planning to invade Czechoslovakia, but it was designed to cool down the situatiin for a few months. The arbitrators awarded the southern third of Slovakia and southern Carpathian Ruthenia (Carpatho-Ukraine) to Hungary (November 2, 1938). Czechoslovakia had to cede 11,833 km² of Slovakia and Carpatho-Ukraine to Hungary. The area did have a majority Hungarian population, so was in line with the Munich Ageement. It included 590,000 Hungarians, 290,000 Slovaks and 37,000 Ruthenians/Ukrainians. It included Slovakia's second-largest city (Košice) and left the capital (Bratislava) vulnerable to any Hungarian attack. As the transfier of the Sudetenland had handed over Czech border fenses, the First Vienna Award forced the Slovaks to hand over gtheir birder defenses. The Slovaks had to turn over its best natural defensive line--the Danube River and the entire belt of fortifications that had been constructed along the Hungarian border. They also lost major weapons depots. The Venna Award satisfied noither the Hungarians or the Czechs, Slovakls, and Ruthenians. It did serve German purposes by temprarily avoiding a war. Borderclashes continued. The Czechs reported 22 border clashes (November 2, 1938-January 12, 1939). Five Czechoslovaks were killed and six were wounded. The Hlinka Guard (Slovak national militia) got involved in the fighting. These clashes as long as war was avoided also served German purposes. The Czchoslovak Government's inability to protect the reduced border has the affect of increasung both Slovak and ruthebnia national sentiment. Nationalit parties gain support. The Slovak National Unity Party won 97.5 percent of the Slovak vote (November 8, 1938). This was essentially a vote for independence. And it created a one-party state. The Czechosvak Parliament granted Slovak autonomy (November 19). Czechosvakia's name was changed to Czecho-Slovakia. TThe Czechs also grant the Carpatho-Ukraine autonomy.
Hitler in total violation of the Munich agreement ordered the Wehrmacht to seize the rest of Czecheslovakia--Bohemia and Moravia. German troops marched into Prague on March 15, 1939. The Germans established a "protectorate." The Czechs people suffered during the German occupation, especially after Hitler concluded tht the Czechs were bing treated to softly and appointed the commande of the SD (SS Security Police), Reinhard Heydrich, as Reichprotector in 1941. Heydrich is known as the "The Hangman" for his penchabt for hanging opponents and histages. He was assasinated by British trained Czech agents (May 1942). Losses during World war II, however, were not as great as in many other countries, especially Poland to the north. The major exception were the Czech Jews. Czecheslovakia was the foreign country occupied by the NAZIs for the longest period. More than 70,000 Czech and Slovakian Jews were killed by the NAZIs.
The Hungarians claimed Ruthenia, but hesitated to take ion the well-armed Czech Army until the Germans had destroyed the Czch state. When the Germans invaded Czechoslovakia proper, Slovakia and Carpatho-Ukraine declared independence. The Ruthenians declared themselves to be the Republic of Carpatho-Ukraine, with Reverend Avhustyn Voloshyn the new head of state. With the Czech Army stood down, the Hungarians immediately finally invaded Carpatho-Ukraine. A frontier incident was staged (March 15) and as German troops moved into Prague, Hungarian troops moved into Rutenia. There was no resistance from the Czechs, although some of the Ukranians resisted, trying to set up a separate state. Poorly armed irregular Carpatho-Ukraine forces were unable to reist. All resiatances ceased (March 18). Problems developed, however, when the Hungarians kept going into Slovakia. Hitler had to order the Hungarians to stop. Hungary annexed further parts of eastern Slovakia west of Carpatho-Rus (march 23). Ruthenia was primarily Ukranian, but there was a Hungarian minority. One source suggests a population of 0.7 million Hungarians. The area remained a part of Hungary until the final year of the War.
The Second Vienna Award was another German arbitration (August 1940). This one affected affected Romania. Hitler convoked a conference in Vienna. It was not really a conference. Nor was it meant to arbitrate the dispute. Describing the awards as an arbitration is a misnomber. Arbitration involves referring negotiations beteen parties. There was no negotiating between the parties. The countries involved were simply informed of what had been decided. (An alternative term for these awards is the Vienna Diktat.) NAZI Germany and Italy compelled Romania to cede half of Transylvania (Northern Transylvania) to Hungary (August 30, 1940). Foreign Minister Von Ribbentrop simply produced a map detailing what the settlement was to be. The Germans awarded a huge area of Transylvania slicing deep into Romania to Hungary. The Vienna Arbitration Award as the Germans called it shocked the Romanian foreign minister who collaspsed when he saw the map and had to be revieved. This decession reversed the principaal terruitorial provisionof the Treaty of Trianon. Transyvania like many areas of southern Europe was multi-ethnic. The award set in motion massive movement of popultions.
The Hungarians declared war on the Soviet Union, but did not participate in a meaninful way in Barbarossa (June 1941). After the tremendous losses in the Red Army offensive befor Moscow (December 1941), Hitler needed manpower for the 1942 Summer offensive. This time he demanded the Hungarians participate. As the 6th Army drove into the City, the relatively quiet flanks were covered by the Axis units. The Hungarians were north of Stalingrad. The Soviet Winter Offensive struck first at the AXis units to the north and south of Stalingrad. The Hungarians managed to escape encirclement. The Red Army, however, smashed The Second Hungarian Army near Voronezh, on the banks of the Don River. An estimated 40,000 Hungarians were killed and 70,000 men wounded--84 percent casualties. After the Stalingrad dissaster Primeminister Kallay ordered what remained of the Second Army back to Hungary (April 1943). Only a small nominal force remained to fight the Germans. The German defeat at Kursk left the Red Army able to strike east at occupied Czechoslovakia and Axis allies Romania ans Hungary. Adminral Horthy with the Red Army advancing toward Hungary, attempted to reach an armistice with the Allies. The Hungarians would be unable to defend Hunary itself, let alone the area ofs of Czecholovakia and Romania it had occupied with German support (1939-40).
The Germans seized control of their former Hungarian ally which was attempting to exit the War (March 1944). The Germans thus just before the arrival of the Soviets were able to round up Jews in the province and transsport them to Auschwitz where they were murdered.
The Red Army occupied Carpatho-Ukraine (October 1944). With the Soviets druving west, it was the first area of pre-War Czechoslovakia to be wrested from German control. The Czech Giovernment in Exile led by President Edvard Beneš dispatched a delegation led by František Němec to the province. Němec was ordered to set up a Czech civilian administration and to begin to reform the Czech Army. He was also to organize elections, working with recently organized national committees. The Ruthenians response, however, was hardly overwealming. Carpatho-Ukraine had suceeded from Czechoslovakia (1939). Many in the largely Ukranian population wa not anxious to be ruled by Czechs again. The Czechoslovak government-in-exile issued regulations excluding former collaborationist Hungarians, Germans, and the Russophile Ruthenian followers of Andrej Brody and the Fencik Party (who had collaborated with the Hungarians) from participating in the new govenment. This totaled about one-third of the population and included amy anti=Communists. Another one-third was eithr Communist or interested in union with the Ukraine. This left only about a thord of Ruthenians potentially syoathetic to a return to Czech control. The Czech delegation established its headquarters in Khust (October 30). The issued a mobilization proclamation.
Soviet authorities acting ion orders from Moscow kept the Czerch delegation from printing and the posting their proclamation. The Soviets began organozing their own civil government. Protests from the Czech Government-in-Exile were ignored. The Soviet activities gave the impression that annexation was imminent. Soviet authorities also prevented the Czech delegation from working with the local national committees that the Soviets were promoting. Soviet-sponsored Communist delegates meeting in Mukachevo, issued a resolution requesting separation of Carpatho-Ukraine from Czechoslovakia and incorporation into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (November 19).
The Soviet organized a Congress of National Committees unanimously accepted the Communist resolution (November 26). of the communists. The Congress elected a National Council and instructed the Council to send a delegation to Moscow to discuss union. The Council also instructed the Czech delegation to leave Carpatho-Ukraine.
Negotiations between the Czechoslovak government and Moscow were begun. Both Czech and Slovak Communists advised President Beneš to cede Carpatho-Ukraine. The Soviet Union agreed to postpone formal annexation until after the War avoid a politically embarassing compromise of Beneš's policy based on regaining Czechoslovakia's pre-Munich frontiers. Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union signed a treaty ceding Carpatho-Ruthenia to the Soviets (July 1945). Czechs and Slovaks living in Carpatho-Ukraine and Ukrainians (Ruthenians) living in Czechoslovakia were allowed to chose Czech or Soviet citizenship. The Hugarian minority was treated more harshly.
Carpatho-Ukraine became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, as the Zakarpattia Oblast ('Transcarpathian Oblast') (1946) as is now part of independent Ukraine.
Impact on Hungarian population
The Hungarian ethnic minority who had welcomed Hungarian troops (March 1939) suffered a catatrophe after the War. Some Hungarians, about 10,000 people, fled Ruthenia. They used good judgement. The NKVD arrested most Hungarian men, about 25,000 men, and deported them to the Soviet Gulag. About 30 percent would perish in the Gulag. Thuis as a result of military losses, emigration, and the German extermination of Hungarian-speaking Jews, the Hungarian population of Carpathian Ruthenia decreased from 161,000 (1941 Hungarian census) to only 66,000 in (1947 Soviet census). The 1947 Census numbers were probablyb affected by a Hungarian reluctance to identify themselves as Hungarian.
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