The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - ELTE BTK Történelem Szakos Portál

interwar period and the treaty was renewed in 1926 and 1931. In the last one
there was an additional regulation allowing both countries to organise military
actions even before any aggression act and to cooperate also in case that the
attack would be from the other side than Soviet Union. The only problem within
this coalition was that Poland had also good relations with Hungary.
As we can see the direction towards Poland was one of the most significant
also for Romania, next to the Little Entente and alliance with France. But
Romania needed also to look carefully on the southern direction and the
possible Bulgarian revisionism. For strengthening the security in this region
Romania signed in February 1934 a multilateral treaty with Yugoslavia, Greece
and Turkey. This alliance was called the Balkan Entente. 8
For Hungary the priority was to get back the international recognition. It
was happening gradually during the 20s and the first step was made in
September 1922, when Hungary joined the League of Nations. Then in 1924 it
signed a treaty with Soviet Union and in 1926 with Yugoslavia. Both were
directed partly against Romania, because either Soviet Union and Yugoslavia
had some territorial argues with this country. Hungary regained full sovereignty
in 1927 when the League of Nations stopped controlling Hungarian military.
After it Hungary engaged in a friendship with Italy, which had similar goals in
Central Europe. These were weakening the Little Entente and moderating
French influence in the region. In the following years Hungary signed also
treaties with Poland (1928), Turkey (1929) and Austria (1931), what stabilized
the situation of the country in the international society, apart from the territorial
demands directed to Romania and Czechoslovakia. 9
Complicated situation of connotations between Central European countries,
troubles with forming any regional organisations or cooperation projects and
internal problems of each nation caused that the position of the region itself was
very weak. The way of strengthening it was seen in the partnership with western
countries. The main role was played by France, which created a kind of
protectorate over Little Entente, but its main goal in Central Europe was formation
of tripartite agreement with Czechoslovakia and Poland. During the conference in
Locarno in October 1925 France signed two treaties: with Poland and with
Czechoslovakia. These were to ensure both countries about French support in case
of any aggression on the side of Germany. Despite this steps and a will towards a
tripartite agreement France did not take into consideration the problem of Polish-
Czechoslovak rivalry. These harsh relations were transferred to the rivalry over the
main position in France's foreign politics in Central Europe. 10 As a result the
agreement was not established and then in the late 20s, when the position of France
weakened, it became less important for Central Europe.
8 DEMEL, Juliusz Demel: Historia Rumunii, op. cit. 387-388.
9 KOCHANOWSKI, Jerzy: Węgry. Od ugody do ugody 1867-1990. Trio, Warsaw, 1997. 79-80.
10 ESSEN, Andrzej: Polityka Czechosłowacji w Europie Środkowej w latach 1918-1932,
Wydawnictwo Naukowe Akademii Pedagogicznej, Cracow, 2006. 57-59.
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