Skirmish at Diosig: Difference between revisions
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The [[Second Vienna Award]] was signed on August 30, 1940, allowing Hungary to occupy and annex [[Northern Transylvania]]. However, the [[Hungarian Army]] was scheduled to take over the region between the 5th and 13th of September.<ref>Royal Institute of International Affairs, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1990, ''Chronology and Index of the Second World War, 1938-1945'', p. 33</ref> |
The [[Second Vienna Award]] was signed on August 30, 1940, allowing Hungary to occupy and annex [[Northern Transylvania]]. However, the [[Hungarian Army]] was scheduled to take over the region between the 5th and 13th of September.<ref>Royal Institute of International Affairs, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1990, ''Chronology and Index of the Second World War, 1938-1945'', p. 33</ref> |
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On September 4, 1940, in violation of the Vienna Award, some Hungarian troops entered the border village of [[Diosig]] a day before the entrance of Hungarian troops in Transylvania was scheduled to begin. Approximately ten men from the [[Hungarian Army]] participated in the funeral of Lajos Szűcs, who was killed a few days earlier, in a crowd of local Hungarian people celebrating the result of the Vienna Award, despite the right of the assembly being prohibited. After the funeral, they did not return to Hungary but entered the village, as they were invited there by local Hungarians. By the time they were leaving, their early entrance was revealed; thus the Romanian troops, lead by [[Lieutenant]] Dumitru Lazea, challenged István Asók, the commander of the local militia. Meanwhile, someone informed the retreating Hungarian troops to return. The Romanian troops took a defensive position at the gates and trenches, lining approx. 600 meters from the Hungarians, who still pushed forward. When the Romanians fired a warning shot, the Hungarian troops opened fire on them,<ref>Holly Case, Stanford University Press, 2009, ''Between States: The Transylvanian Question and the European Idea during World War II'', Chapter title: ''The battle begins at home''</ref> after which the Romanians also returned fire and stormed the Hungarian troops. The Romanian Lieutenant was wounded, and some of his soldiers died; the rest of his troops broke away. Afterward, the Hungarian troops secured the scene and started to aid Lazea. Dezső Lengyel, the local doctor of the village, was trusted to take care of the wounded. Because Lazea could not be treated sufficiently there, it was decided he would be taken to [[Létavértes|Nagyléta]], Hungary, near the border, as they realized taking him to [[Oradea]] in the name of illegally entered Hungarian troops in the presence of the Romanian military would be impossible. Lazea was put in a chariot, and the local butcher of Jewish origin, Izidor Rosenfeld, took him to Nagyléta (the rumors of the villagers told he had volunteered for this as planning a revenge because he had been robbed earlier by Lazea's men who as per the laws could take belongings of the local people). Rosenfeld deliberately drove over potholes with the chariot; thus Lazea was profoundly shaken, hitting his head continuously. He arrived in a worse condition and was immediately redirected to the military hospital of [[Debrecen]], where he died on |
On September 4, 1940, in violation of the Vienna Award, some Hungarian troops entered the border village of [[Diosig]] a day before the entrance of Hungarian troops in Transylvania was scheduled to begin. Approximately ten men from the [[Hungarian Army]] participated in the funeral of Lajos Szűcs, who was killed a few days earlier, in a crowd of local Hungarian people celebrating the result of the Vienna Award, despite the right of the assembly being prohibited. After the funeral, they did not return to Hungary but entered the village, as they were invited there by local Hungarians. By the time they were leaving, their early entrance was revealed; thus the Romanian troops, lead by [[Lieutenant]] Dumitru Lazea, challenged István Asók, the commander of the local militia. Meanwhile, someone informed the retreating Hungarian troops to return. The Romanian troops took a defensive position at the gates and trenches, lining approx. 600 meters from the Hungarians, who still pushed forward. When the Romanians fired a warning shot, the Hungarian troops opened fire on them,<ref>Holly Case, Stanford University Press, 2009, ''Between States: The Transylvanian Question and the European Idea during World War II'', Chapter title: ''The battle begins at home''</ref> after which the Romanians also returned fire and stormed the Hungarian troops. The Romanian Lieutenant was wounded, and some of his soldiers died; the rest of his troops broke away. Afterward, the Hungarian troops secured the scene and started to aid Lazea. Dezső Lengyel, the local doctor of the village, was trusted to take care of the wounded. Because Lazea could not be treated sufficiently there, it was decided he would be taken to [[Létavértes|Nagyléta]], Hungary, near the border, as they realized taking him to [[Oradea]] in the name of illegally entered Hungarian troops in the presence of the Romanian military would be impossible. Lazea was put in a chariot, and the local butcher of Jewish origin, Izidor Rosenfeld, took him to Nagyléta (the rumors of the villagers told he had volunteered for this as planning a revenge because he had been robbed earlier by Lazea's men who as per the laws could take belongings of the local people). Rosenfeld deliberately drove over potholes with the chariot; thus Lazea was profoundly shaken, hitting his head continuously. He arrived in a worse condition and was immediately redirected to the military hospital of [[Debrecen]], where he died on 5 September. The exact cause of death and the medical report are not known; he was buried the same day in a military funeral.<ref name="Történelemportál">{{cite web |url=http://tortenelemportal.hu/2010/09/mi-tortent-hetven-eve-bihardioszegen/ |title=Mi történt hetven éve Bihardiószegen? |last=Megyeri |first=Tamás Róbert |date=6 September 2010|website=tortenelemportal.hu |publisher=Történelem portál}}</ref> |
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Casualties amounted to nine Hungarians killed as well as six Romanians (including Lazea).<ref>Florica Dobre, Vasilica Manea, Lenuța Nicolescu, Editura Europa nova, 2000, ''Anul 1940: armata română de la ultimatum la dictat : documente, Volume 2'', pp. 420-421</ref> |
Casualties amounted to nine Hungarians killed as well as six Romanians (including Lazea).<ref>Florica Dobre, Vasilica Manea, Lenuța Nicolescu, Editura Europa nova, 2000, ''Anul 1940: armata română de la ultimatum la dictat : documente, Volume 2'', pp. 420-421</ref> |
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| Skirmish of Diosig | |||||||
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| Part of World War II | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Romania |
 Hungary | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Dumitru Lazea † |
Corporal Juhász | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 7 killed | 9 killed | ||||||
The Skirmish at Diosig was a border incident between Romanian and Hungarian troops in September 1940.
The engagement
The Second Vienna Award was signed on August 30, 1940, allowing Hungary to occupy and annex Northern Transylvania. However, the Hungarian Army was scheduled to take over the region between the 5th and 13th of September.[1]
On September 4, 1940, in violation of the Vienna Award, some Hungarian troops entered the border village of Diosig a day before the entrance of Hungarian troops in Transylvania was scheduled to begin. Approximately ten men from the Hungarian Army participated in the funeral of Lajos Szűcs, who was killed a few days earlier, in a crowd of local Hungarian people celebrating the result of the Vienna Award, despite the right of the assembly being prohibited. After the funeral, they did not return to Hungary but entered the village, as they were invited there by local Hungarians. By the time they were leaving, their early entrance was revealed; thus the Romanian troops, lead by Lieutenant Dumitru Lazea, challenged István Asók, the commander of the local militia. Meanwhile, someone informed the retreating Hungarian troops to return. The Romanian troops took a defensive position at the gates and trenches, lining approx. 600 meters from the Hungarians, who still pushed forward. When the Romanians fired a warning shot, the Hungarian troops opened fire on them,[2] after which the Romanians also returned fire and stormed the Hungarian troops. The Romanian Lieutenant was wounded, and some of his soldiers died; the rest of his troops broke away. Afterward, the Hungarian troops secured the scene and started to aid Lazea. Dezső Lengyel, the local doctor of the village, was trusted to take care of the wounded. Because Lazea could not be treated sufficiently there, it was decided he would be taken to Nagyléta, Hungary, near the border, as they realized taking him to Oradea in the name of illegally entered Hungarian troops in the presence of the Romanian military would be impossible. Lazea was put in a chariot, and the local butcher of Jewish origin, Izidor Rosenfeld, took him to Nagyléta (the rumors of the villagers told he had volunteered for this as planning a revenge because he had been robbed earlier by Lazea's men who as per the laws could take belongings of the local people). Rosenfeld deliberately drove over potholes with the chariot; thus Lazea was profoundly shaken, hitting his head continuously. He arrived in a worse condition and was immediately redirected to the military hospital of Debrecen, where he died on 5 September. The exact cause of death and the medical report are not known; he was buried the same day in a military funeral.[3]
Casualties amounted to nine Hungarians killed as well as six Romanians (including Lazea).[4]
Aftermath
Local Romanians informed a colonel of the nearby retreating Romanian troops at Săcueni, who was the uncle of Lazea. He was enraged by the events and ordered the village to immediately provide the remains, otherwise the people of Diosig would perish. He also captured ten local people and threatened to kill them if his demands would not be fulfilled. Many of the local people fled to Nagyléta. As initially scheduled, the Hungarian takeover of the region commenced on September 5 and ended on the 13th.[5] On 6 September, Sándor Bodnár secured the village and sent deputies to the superior of Lazea where they discussed the events. The Colonel's information were that a full company attacked the Romanian troops and massacred Romanian inhabitants of the village. After he was told what really happened, he released the captured Hungarians. The case was discussed between Hungarian and Romanian diplomatic committees as well. On September 15, the remains of Lazea were delivered and turned in to the Romanian Military. His reburial was held in the village where he was born on October 5. The Hungarian authorities promised a rigorous investigation into the case, but it is still unknown if Corporal Juhász would have been punished.[3]
Legacy
In honor of Lieutenant Lazea Dumitru, there is a street bearing his name in the city of Câmpulung, Argeș County.
References
- ^ Royal Institute of International Affairs, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1990, Chronology and Index of the Second World War, 1938-1945, p. 33
- ^ Holly Case, Stanford University Press, 2009, Between States: The Transylvanian Question and the European Idea during World War II, Chapter title: The battle begins at home
- ^ a b Megyeri, Tamás Róbert (6 September 2010). "Mi történt hetven éve Bihardiószegen?". tortenelemportal.hu. Történelem portál.
- ^ Florica Dobre, Vasilica Manea, Lenuța Nicolescu, Editura Europa nova, 2000, Anul 1940: armata română de la ultimatum la dictat : documente, Volume 2, pp. 420-421
- ^ R.L. Braham, Springer Science & Business Media, 2012, Genocide and Retribution: The Holocaust in Hungarian-Ruled Northern Transylvania, p. 8