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The history of Hungary is far from complete, in fact around 400 years are
missing from what could have been the very beginning of its foundation.
Unfortunately no documents or artifacts have ever been found and neither are
they likely to be.
What we do know is that ”Arpád” was the first ruler of Hungary and the
founder of the ”Arpád dynasty”. It was in fact a descendant of Arpád that
eventually became the first king of Hungary.
Arpád came to the area east of the Carpathians with seven tribes of which he
was the leader in the 9th century. They were searching for land to claim and
settle as their own and they knew from previous raids that this area was an
ideal place, the mountains gave protection, the rivers would feed them and
the abundance of wild animals in the forests would give them food for great
feasts and most importantly only several small groups of nomadic people
were in this area at that time.
However before we carry on, let us step back in time a little more to the 6th century. A time of battles and warriors and the Roman Empire.
During the 6th century there was a feared and mighty warrior who went by the name of Attila the Hun. He was the leader of many raids coming
from beyond the Carpathian mountains, attacking Dacia (situated on the outskirts of Roman Empire) and later Pannonia, crossing central
Europe and even venturing as far as France. Attilla was ruthless and feared by all. He liked the area which we now call Hungary but it seemed
as though he never actually settled here although the Huns occupied it for several years.
The death of Attila the Hun is uncertain but one rumour suggests that his wife was bribed by the Roman Empire with money and gifts to poison
him. Another rumour of his death is that he was buried three times with all of his riches . Once in a gold coffin, once in a silver and finally in a
lead coffin which was then thrown into the River Tisza by several trusted warriors. However upon their return the warriors were shot down and
killed by archers as it was feared they may reveal his final resting place. Today the whereabouts of Atilla the Huns coffin still remains a mystery.
It is difficult to say for certain if the Hungarians were related to the Huns. The English translation sounds so similar, however the people who
live in Hungary call themselves Magyars and always have done so. Because of the missing years between the 6th and 9th century it is unlikely
to ever come to light if there was ever a connection between the two. Despite this Atilla still remains a popular name in Hungary and almost all
Hungarians believe they are related to the great Huns!
Stepping forward now to the 10th century, Geza, the great grandson of Arpad was the ruling prince of what is basically western Hungary today.
He was keen to integrate Hungary into western Europe by adopting Christianity. He died in 997 and his son Stephen I became the ruling
prince. Following his fathers wishes of adopting Christianity Stephen ordered every 10 villages to build a church and to maintain its priests. On
Christmas Day 1000 Stephen was rewarded with a crown, sent from Pope Sylvestor II and he became the first King of Hungary.
By the time of Stephens death in 1038 Hungary was a nascent Christian nation, multi ethnic and increasingly westward looking. Unfortunately
the next 2 ½ centuries were a time full of struggles for this young nation with rival pretenders to the Throne weakening the country’s defence.
By the beginning of the 14th century the reign of the Arpád dynasty was coming to an end.
Andrew III was the king from 1270 until 1301. He was still alive and not even ailing when Charles II of Naples sent his 12 year old grandson to
take the throne, his only claim being that his grandmother was Hungarian.
The new King became known as Karoly Robert and with his rule a western dynasty had extended its rule to the Carpathian basin.
Louis the Great, son of Karoly, ruled for four decades and built Hungary into a great country with great regional power. This also extended his
direct power and indirect influence. Later, largely due to his mother, he was elected to be the king of Poland too. The lands that he was ruling
were large and spread across central Europe from one sea in the north to another in the south. This led to the question of who was to direct
central Europe and from where?
Louis the Great had no son, only 2 daughters, Hedwig and Mary. Hedwig was left the Polish Throne and Mary the Hungarian.
After some significant medieval ups and downs Mary, obliged by mutual dynastic interests and by war waged by her future bridegroom,
married the Son of Charles IV the Holy Roman Emperor. The marriage to Sigismund of Luxembourg meant that once again a well known
dynasty from the West had again acquired a dominant power in Hungary.
Sigismund reigned over Hungary from 1387 until 1437, he was the master of the whole of central Europe and eventually he was elected to be
the Holy Roman Emperor in 1433. Much of his time became devoted to European Politics, or, in a sense world politics. His 50 year reign
brought peace and a great flowering of Gothic art and architecture.
The house of Hapsburg and house of Jagiello came into conflict as part of the Sigismund rich legacy. The result of the struggle between the
Hungarian aristocracy and the lesser nobility was that on the frozen ice of the Danube a new national King was elected. His name was Matthius
Corvinius and he was to be the greatest ruler of medieval Hungary.
He ruled from 1458-1490 and was nick named the Raven. He maintained a mercenary force of between 8,000-10,000 men through taxation.
However he was celebrated by his people for being fair and just and many folk tales and Hungarian mythology regard him as a great king.
Matthius Corvinius made Hungary into one of Central Europe's leading powers and the country enjoyed its first ever golden age. Unfortunately
during his reign a Turkish threat was growing which he ignored and Vladislav I, his successor, was unable to maintain royal authority. In May
1514 the power hungry archbishop of Esztergom, Tamas Bakócz, organised a crusade which eventually led to a peasant uprising against
landlords under the leadership György Dósza.
The revolt was repressed but some 70,000 peasants were tortured and Dósza himself was brutally fried alive on a red hot iron throne. The
tripartum Law that followed codified rights of barons and nobles and reduced peasants to serfdom. When Louis II took to the throne at the
tender age of 9 in 1516 he could n’t rely on either side for support.
Louis II reigned for only 10 years and in 1526 he had the unenviable task of conducting the most well known losing battle in the whole of the
Hungarian history. His rag tag army were defeated by the Turks on the field of the Mohács during their 1526 campaign. The Turks were now
poised to march onwards to Buda and then Vienna with a force of 100,000 men.
John Szapolyai took the throne after this defeat. He was a well placed Oligarch (supporter of the government), who with his private army
arrived too late to fight in the battle of the Mohács but whether this was from clever planning or by accident shall remain a mystery. Szapolyai
reigned from 1526-1540 and he was the last national king.
Buda fell to the Turks in 1541 and Hungary was torn into three parts. The northern and western borders were ruled by the Hapsburg's for nearly
4 centuries. Buda and the central regions remained in Hungarian hands with the Turks surprisingly content to receive safe passage and
assistance whilst passing through. The remaining parts were under the Turks control.
Despite the trouble free passage westwards, the Turks military operation was so cumbersome that in 1529 when they reached Vienna they
were unable to mount an effective siege and had to turn back to Buda castle, which they occupied for over 100 years! During this time a series
of forts were built to the north and the east to ensure protection for the flanks of any future advance. Despite this in 1686 it was noticed that the
Turkish Ottoman Empire had passed its peak and united Christian armies from different parts of Europe recaptured Buda castle. Soon after the
entire Carpathian basin was liberated. These liberated areas were given to the Hapsburg Monarchy and it was at this time that Hungary
acquired much of its Baroque style buildings which can still be seen in some parts of the country in the present day.
The War of Independence
During the early part of the 19th century the Hapsburg Empire was beginning to weaken and Hungarian nationalism was increasing. The
Hungarian language was replacing German, which at that time was the language of the social elite.
In 1848 Lajos Batthyany was elected Prime Minister of the new Hungarian Ministry. On March 15th Sandor Petőfi took to the streets with a group
that went by the name of ” Youth of March”. They were demonstrating for more radical reforms and revolution and the Hapsburg patience was
wearing thin.
Later that same year the Hapsburg's launched an attack and Batthyanys government was dismissed. However the Hungarians quickly reformed
a national defence commission and moved the government seat to Debrecen, Kossuth was elected a Governor-president and parliament
declared full independence and the dethronement of the Hapsburg's for the second time but the new Hapsburg emperor was not as feeble as
his predecessor. He decided to seek assistance from the Russian Tsar Nicholas I, who obliged him by sending 200,000 troops.
Support for the revolution was beguiling to crumble and in August 1849 the rebel troops were defeated. Kossuth went into exile in Turkey and
many other important supporters of the revolution were executed.
Hapsburg troops stormed through Hungary blowing up castles and fortifications lest they be used again by resurgent rebels. Most of medieval
Hungary was reduced to rubble.
Once again Hungary was merged into the Hapsburg Empire, however in 1867 a compromise was reached which created The Dual Monarchy
of Austria (Empire) and Hungary (Kingdom). It was federated state of 2 parliaments and 2 capitals, Vienna and Pest, later Budapest.
The age of dualism sparked an economic, cultural and intellectual rebirth in Hungary. The capital positively blossomed and much of what can
be seen in Budapest today was built during this time. Unfortunately the situation in the countryside remained as it had done through much of
the middle ages. Minorities were under Hungarian control and were pressurised to Magyarise.
The world wars and treaty of Trianon.
The age of Dualism lasted only until 1918 because of a decision made 4 years earlier.
In 1914 a month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Hapsburg throne, the Dual Monarchy declared war on Serbia
and entered into WWI allied with the German Empire. It ended with disastrous results.
The Treaty of Trianon drawn up in June 1920 by the allies was, and still is, seen as a form of punishment for supporting the losing side during
WWI. Hungary lost over 2/3 of its territory and over 3/5 of its population. Almost overnight millions of Hungarians found themselves to be the
minority groups in Romania, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. Even in the present day many people living close to the borders of Hungary
often consider themselves as ”Magyars” and still speak Hungarian.
Hungary's first ever election was by a secret ballot in March 1920. Parliament chose a Kingdom as the form of state and since lacking a King
elected regent Admiral Miklás Horthy in place of one.
U.S. President Franklin D Roosevelt reportedly remarked on the situation as: ”Let me see if I understand you right: Hungary is a Kingdom
without a King run by a regent who’s an admiral without a navy?”
Confusing as it was Horthy remained in this position until the latter days of WWII, even defeating 2 returns by the lawful King Charles IV, who
has been banished from Vienna by then.
During Hórthys reign the revision of the Treaty of Trianon was at the top Hungary's political agenda. Building relations with stronger nations and
strengthening the economy was the strategy employed by Bethlen who was the prime minister between 1921 and 1931.
Revision of the treaty had such strong backing that Bethlen used it to deflect criticism of his economic, social and political policies but in 1932
the great depression induced a drop in the standard of living and the political mood shifted.
1932 saw the appointment of a new prime minister, Gyúla Gömbos, and he pushed Hungary towards co-operation with Germany. A trade
agreement was signed with Germany that drew Hungary's economy out of depression but made the country dependant on the German
economy for both raw materials and markets. Hitler also used promises of returning lost territories and threats of military intervention and
economic pressure to push Hungarians into supporting Nazi policies.
By 1941 Hungary had indeed regained some of its territories, a little to the north gained during the ”Little war”, some to the West and a
substantial amount to the East. Dividing Transylvania between Hungary and Romania ensured that Hitler could manipulate both of his future
allies, both fearing that if they did not comply with his requests the land they had gained would be taken away and given to the other.
Hungary did not immediately participate in the invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941 and Hitler did not directly ask for assistance
however many Hungarian officials argued for participation fearing border revision of Transylvania. Hungary entered into WWII on Dec 1941.
In 1944 Hitler ordered Nazi troops to occupy Hungary fearing that Hungary was having secret negotiations with Britain and America, which they
were. Döme Sztójay a supporter of the Nazis became the new prime minister and negotiations ceased.
In September 1944 Soviet forces crossed the border and soon Hungary became a battlefield. The country was crumbling as its armies
surrendered one by one. The retreating German army demolished rail, road and communication systems and the red army found the country
in a state of political chaos.
Budapest was captured on February 16 1945.
On May 7, 1945, General Alfred Jodl, the German Chief of Staff, signed the unconditional surrender of all German forces. On 11 June 1945, the
Allies agreed to make 9 May 1945 the official "Victory in Europe" day.
The Germans surrendered and as they retreated vindictively blew up every bridge spanning the Danube. The capital, Budapest suffered badly
, many historical buildings were lost forever, churches were completely destroyed. The city was in complete chaos. The Russians had to take
control and began trying to rebuild a war torn nation.
By signing the Peace Treaty of Paris, Hungary again lost all the territories that it gained between 1938 and 1941. Neither Western Allies nor the
Soviet Union supported any change in Hungary's pre 1938 borders.
The Soviet Union itself annexed Sub-Carpathia, which is now part of Ukraine.
The Treaty of Peace with Hungary signed on 10 February 1947 declared that "The decisions of the Vienna Award of 2 November 1938 are
declared null and void" and Hungarian boundaries were fixed along the former frontiers as they existed on 1 January 1938, except a minor
loss of territory on the Czechoslovakian border. Half of the ethnic German minority (240,000 people) was deported to Germany in 1946-48, and
there was a forced "exchange of population" between Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
An election was held in November 1945 and the Independent Small holders' Party won 57% of the vote. The Hungarian Communist Party, now
under the leadership of Mátyás Rákosi and Ernő Gerő, received support from only 17% of the population. The Soviet commander in Hungary,
Marshal Voroshilov, refused to let the Small holders Party to form a government. Instead a coalition government was established with the
communists holding some of the key posts. The leader of the Small holders, Zoltán Tildy, was named president and Ferenc Nagy prime
minister. Matias Rákosi became deputy prime minister.
László Rajk became minister of the interior and in this post established the security police (ÁVH). In February 1947 the police began arresting
leaders of the Small holders Party and the National Peasant Party. Several prominent figures in both parties escaped abroad. Later Mátyás
Rákosi, a big fan of Stalin, boasted that he had dealt with his colleagues, one by one, "cutting them off like slices of salami."
On 18 August 1949, the Parliament passed the new constitution of Hungary modelled after the 1936 constitution of the Soviet Union. The name
of the country became the People's Republic of Hungary. Socialism was declared as the main goal of the nation. A new and disliked coat of
arms was adopted with Communist symbols like the red star, a hammer and an ear of wheat.
During the early Communist years a state protection authority, the AVH, was collated. The job of this secret police force was to capture anyone
said or found to be against the communism ideals. The AVH obtained a reputation for brutality because of a series of purges beginning in
1948 and intensifying in 1949. Anyone captured was sent immediately to a punishment camp. Usually the AVH would take away the ”guilty”
person in the middle of the night and they could be sent to any number of camps around the country or even to Siberia.
Punishments at the camps were excruciatingly hard and humiliating. Prisoners could be made to strip off and climb a tree, sit on a branch and
sing like a bird until they fell off from either tiredness, cold, hunger or death.
By 1956 a majority of Hungarians had enough and on October 23rd 50,000 university students gathered in Bem Tér shouting anti Soviet
slogans, demanding that ”Nagy” be named the new Prime Minister. A giant statue of Stalin was pulled down during the ruckus and then shots
were fired by the AVH at the students who were now gathering at the entrance of the Hungarian Radio HQ. The news spread quickly and
disorder and violence erupted throughout the capital. Overnight Hungary was in the midst of a revolution.
On the 24th October Nagy did indeed form a new government and for a short while it seemed possible that he would be successful in
transforming Hungary. Nagy announced that Hungary would leave the Warsaw pact and become a neutral state. The AVH was to be abolished
and political prisoners released but it was to be the nations greatest tragedy and an event the reverberated throughout the world.
Thousands organized themselves into militias, battling the State Security Police (ÁVH) and Soviet troops. Pro-Soviet communists and ÁVH
members were often executed or imprisoned, as former prisoners were released and armed.
By the end of October, fighting had almost stopped and a sense of normality began to return.
However Soviet tanks crossed the borders into Hungary and by November 4, a large Soviet force invaded Budapest, killing thousands of
civilians. Fighting continued for several days but organized resistance ceased by November 10, and mass arrests began. An estimated
200,000 Hungarians fled as refugees, 25,000 had died, 20,000 were arrested and 2,000 executed.
By January 1957, the new Soviet-installed government had suppressed all public opposition.
Public discussion about this revolution was suppressed in Hungary for over 30 years, but since the thaw of the 1980s it has been a subject of
intense study and debate
In 1989, October 23 was declared a national holiday.
In the late 1980s, Hungary led the movement to dissolve the Warsaw Pact, this time successfully. On October 23, 1989, Mátyás Szűrös
declared the Third Hungarian Republic and became interim President. Hungary's first free elections were held in 1990.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Hungary developed closer ties with Western Europe as well as with other Central European
countries. It became a member of the Visegrad Group in 1991, joined NATO in 1999, and became a member of the European Union on May 1,
2004.
