Battle of Zalău

The Battle of Zalău was a tactical-level military engagement that took place from February 23 to 26, 1919, in the area of the town of Zalău in Szilágy County (now Sălaj County). The conflict involved Hungarian troops from the Székely Division attacking Romanian ones from the 13th Infantry Brigade. This battle was part of the broader military operations defending the Great Union during the Romanian Army's efforts to occupy the demarcation line in Transylvania in the Hungarian–Romanian War. The outcome was favorable to the Romanian troops, who, after initially having to leave the town, managed to regain control.

Representing a gateway of real strategic importance for both armies, the city of Zalău was a key Hungarian outpost. It served as a center for armed resistance and a possible base for an offensive aimed at restoring the Hungary's old borders. The Romanian Army's takeover of Zalău was preceded by various incidents and complicated by the challenging situation of the civilian population. This occurred in the context of the existing revolutionary climate and the transition of Transylvania to a new administration.

The establishment of the balance of power along the new military demarcation line, set in January 1919, led each side to devise plans to gain additional military advantages beyond the existing situation on the ground. The Romanian command aimed to create a 10 km (6.2 mi) neutral zone by forcing Hungarian troops to withdraw further. Meanwhile, the Hungarian command planned to regain the Zalău–Jibou area.

Several factors, however, destabilized the plans of both commands. Central to this destabilization was the difficult context faced by the Hungarian ethnicity civilian population in the area, from which a significant percentage of soldiers and officers of the Hungarian military subunits were drawn. Additionally, one of the Hungarian battalions near Zalău was commanded by Major Mihály Gyurotsik, whose family was immobilized in the city under Romanian troops.

Without an order from his superiors in the Székely Division and without considering the need for superiority of the effectives, adequate technical equipment, and sufficient post-attack supplies, Major Gyurotsik initiated an action on February 23, 1919. This led to the initial conquest of Zalău by Hungarian troops and the withdrawal of the Romanian forces to the neighboring areas. However, due to the technical, organizational, and numerical superiority of the Romanian troops, the Hungarians could not consolidate their gains, and the city was regained by the Romanians on February 26. Romanian artillery played a significant role in this, although it caused considerable destruction to the locality, which was later exploited by Hungarian propaganda.

From a military standpoint, the events in Zalău inflicted significant material and reputational damage on the Romanian troops. However, the wide range of problems—caused both immediately and subsequently for the rest of the civilian population of Zalău and the city itself—meant that, given the Hungarian troops' inability to maintain their military gains, the overall outcome was negative for the Hungarian Republican Army.