ADSS 1.242 Maglione notes: rumours

ADSS 1.242 Luigi Maglione, Sec State, notes

Reference: AES Germany 774

Location and date: Vatican, 10.01.1940

Summary statement: Hungarian ambassador reported UK and French gov’ts are anxious over Holy See and secret dealings with Germany.

Language: Italian

Text:

I received the visit of His Excellency the Minister of Hungary (1).  He tells me that Great Britain and France are anxious because the Holy See is dealing secretly with the Germans.  To my query he replies he was informed about his by the French Ambassador to the Holy See (2).

Notes: 

(1) Gabriel Apor (1889-1969) Hungarian Ambassador to the Holy See, 1939-44.

(2) Added by hand: “Sent note immediately to the Holy Father who called the British Minister in the next day.”  There were secret negotiations in progress for the visit of German Foreign Minister, Joachim Ribbentrop, to the Holy See.  See ADSS 1.254 n1.

ADSS 1.182 Rotta to Maglione: Hungary will remain neutral

ADSS 1.182 Angelo Rotta, Hungary, to Luigi Maglione, Sec State

Reference: Report number 2666/39, (AES 6347/39)

Location and date: Budapest, 03.09.1939

Summary statement: Hungarian Foreign Minister says Mussolini and Ciano promised to keep Italy out of the war.  Csaky welcomes Italian neutrality which will help Hungary maintain her neutrality.

Language: Italian

Text:

Following my coded message number 41 yesterday (1):

As soon as I was back in Budapest I asked to be received by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. (2) I wanted in this way to collect information from reliable sources and to take advantage of the occasion to bring to him the Holy Father’s Benediction and to beg him to convey to His Highness, the Regent, and to his worthy Consort, who are at present staying at Gödöllö, the feelings of gratitude and pleasant remembrance of His Holiness.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs expressed great praise of the supreme Pontiff’s efforts for peace, and appreciated very much his kind message to him.

During this conversation he confirmed what I have already written in my report of 21 August, Number 2618/39 Pr 31 (3) regarding his recent meeting with Hitler and Ribbentrop.  Regarding the conversation with Mussolini and Ciano he said that he met Mussolini on 19 August, after the army manoeuvres, and he found him in very good health: he stayed with him for about three hours.

After Minister Csáky had illustrated Hungary’s attitude in case of a probable conflict, that is: a state of neutrality, even if there will not be an official declaration in this sense.  Hungary therefore would be ready to supply goods against payment both to Germany and Poland; and he asked for information on the future attitude of Italy in the deplorable event of a war.  Regarding this he received from Mussolini’s lips an idea, which he, for the first time, was hearing from him, and which impressed him very much.  Mussolini said Italy was a Catholic country and would feel distressed to have to fight alongside the new pagans against a Catholic State.  Italy is united for sentimental reasons with two European nations, Hungary and Poland.

At this conversation Count Ciano was also present and he in turn said that amongst the secret clauses of the military pact with Germany there was also Germany’s undertaking to maintain peace for three years; he then added that it is easy to govern an unarmed nation but when the nation is armed the ruler must seriously consider its feelings.

Relata refero (4). Would that such ideas were the Government’s guide in determining Italy’s attitude in the present circumstances!

Naturally Minister Czáky understands very well what a difficult position Hungary is in and he hopes that this neutrality which she proposes to observe could last, even if the conflict were to be a prolonged and expanding one; but he is unable to give assurances regarding this subject.  Who can be prophetic?  Certainly it would be a great help to Hungary if Italy could remain a spectator, with a pronounced sense of neutrality, even if more of less in favour of one of the parties in conflict: this would help Hungary to maintain her policy.

Conditions here are still calm: many precautionary restrictions have been introduced, especially regarding the Press, which is under censorship in order that it should report the news with impartiality, without comments and without showing sympathy for one side or the other.  As Minister Csáky told me, the army has been increased to 80,000 men, while Rumania has got 600,000 men under arms.

Here ends the summary of the conversation.

The declaration of war by Great Britain which has taken place today and which will be followed, as I am told, by that of France, has not surprised anyone here, as was expected; indeed, both were expected last night.

For the moment Hungary has not taken, nor has the intention of taking, new precautionary measures but watches the development of events.

I shall endeavour to keep Your Eminence fully informed should I get news of some interest.  This report is being taken to Rome directly by Monsignor Principi of the Secretariat of State there. (5)

Notes: 

(1) Not published in ADSS.  This report demonstrated that the neutral powers valued the representations of the Holy See regarding Franco-Italian relations.

(2) István Csáky (1894-1941), Hungarian Foreign Minister 1938-41.

(3) As per note 1.

(4) Relata refero – literally – “I tell what I have been told”.  Originally from Herodotus and used as a disclaimer to emphasise the writer has not fabricated the recounted event.

(5) Primo Principi (1894-1975), Secretary in the Second Section of the Secretariat of State c1920-1965.

ADSS 1.162 Kaldewey to Maglione: news from Romania

ADSS 1.162 Umberto Kaldewey (1), Charge d’affaires, Budapest Nunciature to Luigi Maglione, Sec State

Reference: Report number 2657/1939; AES 6348/39

Location and date: Budapest, 31.08.1939

Summary statement: Romania has proposed a non-aggression pact with Hungary without success; Hungary calls for a pact for the protection of minorities.  Hungarian press is silent on the German occupation of Slovakia.  Friendly demonstrations outside the German and Italian legations.

Language: Italian

Text:

Hungary also, naturally, takes the necessary precautions required by the present difficult situation, but the calm, order and discipline which prevails in Budapest and in the centre of the country is noted even abroad. Parliament is due to open again on 14 September when a Bill on agrarian reform will be introduced.

The Hungarian Government has expressed to the Rumanian Government its anxiety about the vast movement of soldiers taking place in Rumania.  The Bucharest Government replied that no aggressive intention should be seen in these activities: they are only concentrations of army units that are part of the autumn manoeuvres for exercise purposes.  In order to give proof of its peaceful intentions towards it neighbours, the Rumanian government has declared itself ready to sign a non-aggression pact between Rumania and Hungary.  The Hungarian Government replied that it was unable to accept this proposal; it does not object to the mobilisation, but it does not consider that the concentration of Rumanian troops along the Hungarian border is a friendly act.  The Hungarian Government, giving proof of its good will, proposed to the Rumanian Government that, instead, a treaty for the protection of the minorities should be concluded because in such a way the relations between the two nations could be improved; such a treaty, moreover, notwithstanding its political nature, could not be construed as a consequence of the mobilisation and the movements of the Rumanian army.

The news that German troops have entered Slovakia has not created any excitement here.

A small number of people with swastika emblems were able – notwithstanding the prohibition of the authorities – to set up a demonstration of sympathy in front of the Italian and the German Legations – as I informed you in my report Number 27 (1) The Hungarian newspapers have disapproved almost unanimously of this gesture, made more or less for internal political purposes, considering it offensive to Germany and Italy as if sympathy towards the two Axis partners in Hungary could be deduced from the action of a few swastika bearers.

Hopes unfortunately are every moment becoming frighteningly weaker; but the people anxiously follow the efforts which are being made to avoid war and especially, with profound gratitude, the noble efforts of the Holy Father in favour of peace.

Notes:

(1) Umberto Kaldewey, priest of the diocese of Rome, was Charge d’Affaires at the Hungarian Nunciature since at least 1928. 

(2) Not published in ADSS.

ADSS 1.138 Montini notes: Romania and Hungary

 ADSS 1.138 Montini, notes

Reference: AES 5762/39

Location and date: Vatican, 26.08.1939

Summary statement: Romanian Ambassador suggests an approach by Budapest nuncio, to bring about a Romanian-Hungarian understanding for the common defence.

Language: Italian

Text:

The Romanian Embassy (1) at the Holy See thinks that an approach of the Apostolic Nuncio (2) would be well accepted and very opportune in persuading the Hungarian authorities to come to an understanding with Romania for the common defence of their independence.  Hungary has little choice: either to put up a common front of resistance with Romania, Yugoslavia and, later, Poland, or to become a German dependency.

Lately Romania has reinforced the frontier defence with some troops: Hungary has take umbrage at this: Romania has replied that this move had no offensive character; on the contrary Romania would have liked to take advantage of this occasion to reach a settlement of the Romania-Hungarian issues.  Hungary replied that it does not negotiate under the threat of cannon. (3)

Notes: 

(1) Nicola Petresco Comnene (1881-1958), Romanian Ambassador to the Holy See 1939-40.

(2) Angelo Rotta (1872-1965), Nuncio to Hungary 1930-45.

(3) Domenico Tardini added the following note: “29 August 1939. The Romanian Ambassador forgets that Hungary is already bound to the Axis.  Hungary will suffer all the consequences of this, if things go well.”  It was announced in the press on 28 August 1939 that Hungary had refused a non-aggression pact with Romania stating its preference to remain alongside Germany. Courier Mail, Brisbane, 28.08.1939, p2.

Haunting images of the Jews of Budapest in October 1944.

Posting document after document relaying the tragedy that struck Hungarian Jewry after the Arrow Cross Fascists seized power in October 1944 was one way the historian attempts to piece together the narrative and provide interpretation of events.  Angelo Rotta's detailed and accurate descriptions of the events engulfing the Jews of Budapest provide a powerful entree into the unfolding tragedy.

Another source of the tragedy that I have only come across recently are the photographic records made by official German photographers, officially sanctioned by the Ministry of Propaganda.  The German Federal Archive has engaged in a joint project with Wikipedia and made available thousands of images from the war years. On 6 December 2008 the archive made over 100,000 images available via Wikimedia Commons.

It is not hard to imagine that Angelo Rotta had scenes like this in mind when he sent his reports to Rome.  Images such as this have appeared before, but seeing it in the context of the dozens of photos taken it is even more evocative. It is the face of the little girl in the lower right and the anger in the face of the young guard on the left that caught my eye and reminded me yet again, that history is the story of human beings.

Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-680-8285A-25,_Budapest,_Festnahme_von_Juden.jpg

About the photographer, Faupel, we know next to nothing.  The collection can be viewed here.

ADSS 10.431 Tardini to Orsenigo - Hungarian Jews

10.431 Domenico Tardini to Cesare Orsenigo, Nuncio Germany

Reference: Telegram 1137 (AES 9073/44)

Location and date: Vatican, 05.01.1945

Summary statement: Nuncio must make new interventions for the Hungarian Jews.

Language: Italian

Text:

Continue to push appeals (1) from the Holy See pleading for intervention for the Hungarian Jews against whom serious measures continue.

Your Excellency is asked to strive to make efforts for those Jews citing the principles of humanity and justice. (2)

Notes:

(1)  See ADSS 10.430.

(2) Orsenigo replied on 12.01.1945 (Telegram 408, AES 1065/45): “The Foreign Ministry replied that the Hungarian Government is the competent authority.”