Principles of the Hungarian Occupational Policy in Prekmurje

Abstract

The author has prepared an outline review of the principles which determined the Hungarian occupational policy in Prekmurje. In the first place, there was the policy of the Hungarian state which had never recognized the Trianon Peace Treaty after the First World War, and saught alliance with the Fascist regimes in Europe to ensure support for its revisionist tendencies,. The second factor was the structure of the population in Prekmurje. Different ethnic and religious groups responded differently to the Hungarian occupation in April 1941 and the attitude of the occupying authorities towards individual groups varied in accordance with that response. Very particular was the relationship with the autochtonous Slovenian population to whom the new authorities dedicated the greatest attention through propaganda and education. However, this attention was only a mirage with a real war behind the scenes which took its toll also among the people of Prekmurje.