The Royal Hungarian Army's Modernization Efforts (1932-1936): The Consequence of Schism and Paralysis in Neo-Baroque Hungary

The conservative aristocracy and the Right Radicals dominated the Counter-revolutionary Era (1919-1945) of Hungarian history. Their ideologies and outlook were founded on the “injustice” of the Treaty of Trianon and Hungary’s post-war national collapse. As such, both factions identified the restoration of “Greater Hungary” as inter-war Hungary’s chief policy. At the same time, however, these two factions represented two very dissimilar groups, resulting in an era defined by two unstable, contradictory and diverging ideologies. The conflicting nature of these two responses eventually resulted in a schism between the two factions. Consequently, the strategies meant to realize Hungary’s policy proved as irreconcilable as the two factions themselves. Fueled by inter-war Hungary’s social and economic conditions, this schism created an environment of division and paralysis. This development engulfed Hungarian society and, consequently, the Royal Hungarian Army.