Between Damage and Compensation: Consequences of the Russian Imperial Army Raids and Reconstruction Processes in Bereg County (Bereg vármegye) (1914–1918)

Abstract

The study analyzes the social and economic consequences of the Carpathian military operations during World War I for Bereg County, paying special attention to the state mechanisms of damage compensation following the raids of the Russian Imperial Army. The work, based on archival sources and damage assessment protocols, demonstrates how István Tisza's government attempted to reconstruct the destroyed infrastructure and civilian living spaces. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to identify the scale of the damage caused by the raids of the Russian Imperial Army during World War I, as well as to analyze the state and local reconstruction measures implemented in Bereg County. The research attempts to answer how administrative structures responded to the socio-economic crisis caused by the war, particularly regarding compensation to the population and the rebuilding of infrastructure. Methods. The methodological basis of the research is the analysis of primary archival sources, in particular, the protocols of the Council of Ministers' meetings, official damage assessment documents, public claims for compensation, and various church documents. The paper employs a case-study approach, which allows for demonstrating the practical activities of the damage assessment commissions and the application of corresponding legal regulations. Results. The study results indicate that during the advance of the Russian Imperial Army, many settlements were partially or completely destroyed, and during their retreat, the tsarist troops systematically destroyed railway tracks, viaducts (valley bridges), and civilian infrastructure. Following the visit of Prime Minister István Tisza to the affected region, the Hungarian government developed a comprehensive recovery strategy that included providing basic living conditions, restoring the healthcare system, and returning refugees. The work of the mixed damage assessment commissions was complicated by the emergence of war profiteering among the population: in a number of cases, false damage claims were submitted, leading to trials and even prison sentences. Furthermore, it was established that a portion of the damages did not result from enemy actions but was caused by the quartering of Austro-Hungarian army units. Conclusions. The study shows that overcoming the consequences of war destruction required close cooperation between administrative structures, economic institutions, and the local population. Although the damage compensation process was often lengthy and bureaucratically complex—with many victims receiving no compensation even several years after the completion of the inspections—the recovery system itself can be viewed as one of the early comprehensive examples of the formation of modern state social policy and welfare systems.