Claim:
It was a mistake to disband the army so hastily.
Rebuttal:
The existent Hungarian army – defeated, disillusioned and undisciplined – had to be stood down as fast as possible. On the other hand, it was a mistake not even to try to create new, apt and viable armed forces at the same time.
In detail:
The standing down of the existing army was made necessary by a number of factors. Partly the fact that the soldiers themselves wanted peace, which was understandable after four years of war – let’s not forget that Károlyi’s party had become popular campaigning with a pacifist program. Also, Károlyi’s government were worried that they just wouldn’t be able to control the unruly, undisciplined soldiers once they arrived home. Even as it was, in many places the gendarmerie had to be called in to actually shoot it out with the looting soldiers. Thirdly, foreign policy was also at play. The Károlyi government was trying to prove its good intentions to the entente powers, but the Belgrade agreement was actually very specific on to what extent the Hungarian army must be cut back. However, what the Károlyi government can indeed be blamed for is how they failed to draft a new, reliable and viable army instead of the disbanded one. They even started to organise the army allowed by the Belgrade agreement very belatedly. On the other hand, opinions vary concerning to what extent it was realistic to expect a government to organise a new army straight after a lost war, in this period of upheaval.
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