Foreign Minister László Bárdossy

bárdossy, signing treaty of eternal friendship between yugoslavia , hungary in march 1941

on 27 february, yugoslav foreign minister, aleksander cincar-marković, arrived in budapest exchange documents ratifying treaty of friendship, , teleki , bárdossy met him. cincar-marković alarmed imminent bulgarian accession tripartite pact. in march, teleki wrote long memorandum regarding expectations british , americans have of hungary. saw chief responsibility conserving hungary s resources end of war, , listed dangers faced, 1 of yugoslavia, despite signed treaty of friendship. described unreasonable british expectation small nations such hungary should oppose germany. despite this, listed number of ways in hungary had held firm against unreasonable german demands, including refusal let german troops transit through hungary attack poland in 1939.

on 4 march, bárdossy gave note british ambassador reiterating transit of german troops through hungary @ been @ request of romanian government. in communications ambassador in london accused british of malice , considerable ignorance , , may have allowed dislike of ambassador colour assessment of british position. on 12 march, teleki wrote ambassador in london, upbraiding british reproaching others non-resistance , , claiming british had failed bring nations in balkans , danube basin together, whereby may have been able resist germans. ambassador did not receive letter until late march, , when went visit eden, foreign secretary told him expected teleki have succumb german pressure sooner or later, warned hungary have face gravest consequences if allowed german troops pass through territory attack country allied britain, , worse consequences accrue if hungary joined in such attack.

on 25 march, yugoslavs acceded tripartite pact, 2 days later yugoslav government overthrown military coup. adolf hitler ordered generals prepare attack yugoslavia, , summoned hungarian ambassador berlin, döme sztójay. hitler told him that:

germany act prevent enemy bases being established against herself;
if fighting occurred, germany not oppose hungarian revisionist claims on yugoslav territory;
germany supported croatian aspirations autonomy; and
hungary might consider taking military action herself.

hitler offered croatia hungary in message miklós horthy, regent of hungary on 27 march. horthy willing join planned invasion of yugoslavia unconditionally, bárdossy , teleki convinced him reconsider position. in letter, promised hungarian army cooperate germans , refuted hitler s offer croatia. however, sztójay took letter berlin on 28 march, made hitler believe hungary participate in invasion. hitler stated germany had 2 friends in balkans, hungary , bulgaria, promising revisionist claims satisfied. same day, hungary s ministerial council met discuss conditions under hungarian army move yugoslav territories formerly part of hungary. agreed occur if 1 of following conditions met:

if yugoslavia ceased exist state, i.e. if croatia proclaim independence;
if security of hungarian minority in yugoslavia endangered; or
if vacuum created german military action in areas occupied hungarian minority.

the following day, hungarian ambassador in london asked clarification whether, in case of german attack on yugoslavia, hungary uphold treaty of eternal friendship. bárdossy wrote back, copying same message ambassador united states, stating there real likelihood yugoslavia disintegrate, , secession of croatia , slovenia create situation hungary have act protect hungarian minority in vojvodina. acting under impression horthy s letter had approved such action, chief of hungarian general staff, general henrik werth , chief of operations, colonel dezső lászló negotiating german general friedrich paulus, chief of operations of german army. hungarian high command believed germans needed evidence of hungary s friendship, and, contradicting conditions set, agreed hungarian forces operate outside former hungarian territories within yugoslavia.

horthy called meeting of supreme defence council on 1 april. bárdossy advocated position hungarian army should move areas of yugoslavia occupied hungarian minority under conditions agreed on 28 march. said germany should told this, , hungarian action independent of germans. minister of interior ferenc keresztes-fischer , others agreed, werth, , minister of defence károly bartha pushed immediate military action on basis of letters exchanged between horthy , hitler. teleki spoke, reminding present of enormous resources of britain , united states, , saying hungary should not take action consider unacceptable. agreed bárdossy acceptable enter former hungarian territories in yugoslavia after yugoslavia had collapsed. in end, council adopted resolutions proposed teleki , bárdossy, modified conditions agreed on 28 march. that:

the hungarian army not pass beyond line formed danube , drava;
preparations made mobilise, horthy making final decision; and
all hungarian units under horthy s ultimate command, , not subordinated german command.

on 2 april, british warned hungarian ambassador if hungary allowed transit of germans through territory attack yugoslavia, britain break off diplomatic relations. cautioned hungary if joined attack on yugoslavia under pretext, must expect britain , allies declare war, , if occurred, expect treated appropriately should allies victorious. british observed hungary had renounced claims on yugoslav territory when signed treaty of friendship, , attack on yugoslavia flagrant breach of treaty. these warnings passed on hungarian government telegram.

when hitler requested clearance launch 1 of armoured thrusts against yugoslavia using hungarian territory, teleki unable dissuade regent. tripartite act allowed german army deployed in hungary s territory.

concluding hungary had disgraced irrevocably siding germans against yugoslavs, teleki shot himself on 3 april. in suicide note horthy, wrote, have become breakers of our word—out of cowardice—in defiance of treaty of eternal friendship... have placed ourselves @ side of scoundrels... shall robbers of corpses! abominable nation . horthy informed hitler evening hungary abide treaty of eternal friendship yugoslavia, though cease apply should croatia secede , yugoslavia cease exist. ordered mobilisation of 2 army corps.