ABSTRACT
In Prekmurje and Teschen Silesia, food provisioning became a critical tool of state legitimacy amid political contestation after the First World War. The Czechoslovak government used the demarcation line and food distribution to garner local support during the plebiscite campaign in Teschen, while Poland struggled with inefficiencies and competing priorities. Prekmurje's fragmented administration and weak state presence allowed smuggling and shortages, fueling discontent and pro-Hungarian demonstrations. Yugoslav authorities responded with land reforms, infrastructure development, and migration controls. The meeting of basic material needs—food, land, and a stable livelihood—was paramount in shaping popular loyalties and new states’ legitimacy in the contested borderlands.
