Anglo-French Rivalry and the Treaty of Trianon

The anomaly in the British attitude towards the Treaty of Trianon was ignored by Admiral Horthy and his entourage. The Foreign Office was not too harsh in criticising the Hungarian regime, particularly after an unexpected French challenge to British primacy in Budapest during 1920. The sudden ‘reconciliation trend’ in French policy towards Hungary resulted in swift diplomatic measures in both Paris and Budapest. The project aimed at hindering similar British schemes around Vienna, and was thus the first distinct sign of rivalry between France and Britain for the political and economic domination of the Danubian Basin. By the end of 1921 the growing aloofness in the diplomatic relations between Britain and France culminated in a controversy over Hungary’s application to enter the League of Nations. By early 1922, the Danubian region was divided into two camps, politically and economically.