A comprehensive history of the land, people, society, culture and economy of Hungary.

A Concise History of Hungary

The History of Hungary and the Magyars

The Hungarian defeat to the Ottoman army at the pivotal Battle of Mohács in 1526 led to the division of the Kingdom of Hungary into three parts, altering both the shape and the ethnic composition of Central Europe for centuries to come. Hungary thus became a battleground between the Ottoman and Habsburg empires. In this sweeping historical survey, Géza Pálffy takes readers through a crucial period of upheaval and revolution in Hungary, which had been the site of a flowering of economic, cultural, and intellectual progress—but battles with the Ottomans lead to over a century of war and devastation. Pálffy explores Hungary's role as both a borderland and a theater of war through the turn of the 18th century. In this way, Hungary became a crucially important field on which key debates over religion, government, law, and monarchy played out. Reflecting 25 years of archival research and presented here in English for the first time, Hungary between Two Empires 1526–1711 offers a fresh and thorough exploration of this key moment in Hungarian history and, in turn, the creation of a modern Europe.

Hungary Between Two Empires 1526–1711

An Illustrated History of Hungary

The Will to Survive describes how a small country, for much of its existence squeezed between two empires, surrounded by hostile neighbours and subjected to invasion and occupation, survived the frequent tragedies of its eventful history to become a sovereign democratic republic within the European Union. The Mongol, Ottoman, Habsburg, Nazi and Soviet empires have all since vanished; but Hungary, a victim of all five and despite suffering the consequences of being on the losing side in every war she has fought, still occupies the territory the Magyar tribes claimed for themselves in the ninth century. The author, whose interest in Hungary stems from his service there as British Ambassador during the declining years of Kadar's Communist regime, traces Hungary's story from the arrival of the Magyars in Europe to the accession of Hungary to membership of NATO and the European Union. The eleven hundred years covered by this stirring account embrace medieval greatness, Turkish occupation, Habsburg domination, unsuccessful struggles for independence, massive deprivation of territory and population after the First World War, a disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany motivated by the hope of redress, and forty years of Soviet-imposed Communism interrupted by a gallant but brutally suppressed revolution in 1956.

The Will to Survive

Surveys Hungary's development from prehistory to the postcommunist era

A History of Hungary

The Economy of Medieval Hungary is the first concise, English-language volume on the economic life of medieval Hungary, covering the structures of economic life, human-nature interactions in production, taxation, money and commerce.

The Economy of Medieval Hungary

Excerpt from The History of Hungary and the Magyars: From the Earliest Period to the Close of the Late War Many of the facts detailed in this work will possess no novelty for students of history. The writer does not profess to have derived his materials from any extraordinary sources. With most, if not all, of the books he has consulted, the literary world is, more or less, familiar. His object has been simply to present, in a popular form, the history of a great people, concerning whom the mass of English readers have no information except what can be gleaned from the stray and scanty allusions contained in the various accounts of the wars and revolutions of the German empire. He has dwelt at considerable length upon the relations existing between Hungary and the House of Hapsburg, because it is mainly upon the peculiar nature of these that her claims to the sympathy of Europe are founded. He has endeavoured throughout to make the narrative as plain and succinct as possible; and for the attainment of this object has, in many places, sacrificed a great number of collateral details. Foreign wars, as the least interesting episodes in a nation's life, when they leave behind no marked results, he has in many instances passed over with a mere mention. His great aim has been to convey a clear idea of the nature and the origin of the late revolution to the minds of those who have hitherto given hut little attention to European politics. For information regarding the war of independence he has consulted most of the works which have since appeared on the subject. To that of General Klapka, as the most trustworthy, perhaps, he is under greater obligations than any. The interest which the Magyars excited in 1849 is kept alive by the certainty, which every one who pays any attention to the state of affairs on the continent must feel, that, in the next great European convulsion, they will play, if possible, a still more important part than in the last. A history of Hungary, which will satisfy all the requirements of criticism, can never be written until her archives are in the hands of the rightful owners, and until the restoration of her liberties shall have enabled foreigners to study her institutions with the attention they merit. To such a character, therefore, this one lays no claim. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The story of the origin of the Hungarians is generally derived from two different sources. One, purely mythical or legendary, is said to have come down from the forefathers to the present generation, and, clad in a somewhat fanciful garb, runs as follows: Nimrod, the man of gigantic stature, a descendant of Japheth, one of the sons of Noah, migrated after the confusion of languages at the building of the tower of Babel to the land of Havila. There his wife, Eneh, bore him two sons, Hunyor and Magyar. One day as the two brothers were out hunting in the forests of the Caucasus, they happened to fall in with a doe. They at once gave chase, but on reaching the moorlands of the Sea of Azov the noble animal suddenly vanished before their very eyes. The brothers, in pursuing the track of their game, had wandered through a wide expanse of country, and perceiving that the rich meadows were admirably suited to the needs of a pastoral people, they immediately returned to their father and asked his consent to their departure. They obtained his consent without difficulty, and settled with their herds of cattle in those regions where grass grew luxuriantly. The two brothers had lived quietly for five years in their new homes, when the thought occurred to them, more thoroughly to investigate the surrounding country. They accordingly set out on their journey, roaming along the steppes, when their ears were suddenly caught by the sounds of voices singing, which the east wind had wafted in their direction. Led on by the pleasing sounds the wanderers' eyes were met by a lovely sight. Before them the daughters of the dwellers in the woods were disporting themselves beneath their tents, celebrating the Feast of the Hunting-horn, in the absence of their husbands and brothers. Hunyor and Magyar were delighted at this unexpected encounter and quickly carried away the women to their own abode. Amongst the ravished women were two maids of rare beauty, the daughters of Dula, the prince of the Alans. Hunyor took one, and Magyar the other, for his spouse. From them sprang the kindred nations of the Huns and Magyars, or Hungarians, both of which in due course of time, grew to be mighty...

The Story of Hungary (Jovian Press)

Excerpt from The History of Hungary and the Magyars: From the Earliest Period to the Close of the Late War Many of the facts detailed in this work will possess no novelty for students of history. The writer does not profess to have derived his materials from any extraordinary sources. With most, if not all, of the books he has consulted, the literary world is, more or less, familiar. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Lavishly illustrated, the book contains seventy five historical maps and colour plates which visualize the historical background of Hungary and introduces its early history to a broader readership. The early history of Hungarians is embedded into the history of Eurasia and special attention is given to the relationship of the Hungarians with the Khazars and the Bulghar-Turks. The first part deals with methods and sources which can be used for elucidating the ancient history of the Hungarians, relying on research into linguistics, archaeology, anthropology and natural history. The second part traces how the Hungarians came into the Carpathian Basin and answers such questions as: who are the Magyars, from where did they come and how did they conquer the land? It reconstructs and examines their early political and social structure, the economy, and religion, and compares the Hungarian medieval process with the ethnogenetic processes of the Germanic, Slavic and Turkic people.

Hungarians and Europe in the Early Middle Ages

The Hungarian War of Independence was one of the largest European conflicts of the 19th century, lasting a year, encompassing a dozen major battles and many smaller actions and sieges, with half a million men under arms by its end. Yet it remains strangely obscure and overlooked by the Anglophone world, perhaps because of the inaccessibility of Hungarian-language sources for most English readers, combined with the limited number of German-language sources due to Austria's embarrassment about the whole episode. The first half of this war was the Winter Campaign of 1848-1849, in which invading Austrian armies drove deep into Hungary, only to be hurled back again almost to the Austrian border. The Austrian commander was sacked, and the Kaiser had to ask the Tsar for his aid in the Summer Campaign. 250,000 Russians helped the Austrians finally to defeat the Hungarian revolution. This book is a translation of the Austrian semi-official history of the Winter Campaign. It therefore provides a detailed and authoritative account of this neglected war, replete with fascinating episodes and invaluable factual data, in English for the first time ever. It includes extensive information about orders of battle, precious nuggets about uniforms and weaponry, actual despatches reproduced verbatim, and accounts of myriad actions from tiny skirmishes up to the major battles of Kápolna and Isaszeg. The translation of the original text is complemented by extensive scholarly annotation providing both critical analysis and additional data or contextual information. No other work in English approaches this level of detail.

Hungary 1848

Now recognised as the standard work on the subject, Realm of St Stephen is a comprehensive history of medieval Eastern and Central Europe. Pal Engel traces the establishment of the medieval kingdom of Hungary from its conquest by the Magyar tribes in 895 until defeat by the Ottomans at the Battle of Mohacs in 1526. He shows the development of the dominant Magyars who, upon inheriting an almost empty land, absorbed the remaining Slavic peoples into their culture after the original communities had largely disappeared.

The Realm of St Stephen

The Afterlife of Austria-Hungary examines histories, journalism, and literature in the period between world wars to expose both the positive and the negative treatment of the Habsburg monarchy following its dissolution and the powerful influence of fiction and memory over history. Originally published in Polish, Adam Kozuchowski's study analyzes the myriad factors that contributed to this phenomenon.

The Afterlife of Austria-Hungary

*Includes pictures *Includes excerpts of contemporary accounts *Includes a bibliography for further reading "Having crossed the Danube, they encamped beside the Danube as far as Budafelhévíz. Hearing this, all the Romans living throughout the land of Pannonia, saved their lives by flight. Next day, Prince Árpád and all his leading men with all the warriors of Hungary entered the city of King Attila and they saw all the royal palaces, some ruined to the foundations, others not, and they admired beyond measure the stone buildings and were happier than can be told that they had deserved to take without fighting the city of King Attila, of whose line Prince Árpád descended. They feasted every day with great joy in the palace of King Attila, sitting alongside one another, and all the melodies and sweet sounds of zithers and pipes along with all the songs of minstrels were presented to them ... Prince Árpád gave great lands and properties to the guests staying with them, and, when they heard this, many guests thronged to him and gladly stayed with him." - An excerpt from Gesta Hungarorum Of all the steppe peoples in the medieval period, perhaps none were more important to European history than the Magyars. Like the Huns and Avars before them and the Cumans and Mongols after them, the Magyars burst into Europe as a destructive, unstoppable horde, taking whatever they wanted and leaving a steady stream of misery in their wake. They used much of the same tactics as the other steppe peoples and lived a similar, nomadic lifestyle. The Magyars also had many early cultural affinities with other steppe peoples, following a similar religion and ideas of kingship and nobility, among other things. That said, as similar as the Magyars may have been to other steppe nomads before and after them, they were noticeably different in one way: the Magyars settled down and became a part of Europe and Western Civilization in the Middle Ages. The Magyars exploded onto the European cultural scene in the late 9th century as foreign marauders, but they made alliances with many important kingdoms in less than a century and established their own dynasty in the area, roughly equivalent to the modern nation-state of Hungary. After establishing themselves as a legitimate dynasty among their European peers, the Magyars formed a sort of cultural bridge between the Roman Catholic kingdoms of Western Europe and the Orthodox Christian kingdoms of Eastern Europe. Ultimately, the Magyars chose the Roman Catholic Church, thereby becoming a part of the West and tying their fate to it for the remainder of the Middle Ages. The Magyars: The History and Legacy of the Medieval Tribes that Established the Kingdom of Hungary examines the Magyars and their culture, from their origins through the Arpad Dynasty to their raids on Europe, the establishment of a royal dynasty, and their integration into Western Civilization, marking the transition from the Magyars to Hungarians. Along with pictures and a bibliography for further reading, you will learn about the Magyars like never before.

The Magyars

During the Middle Ages the majority of people in Western Europe never met any Hungarians. They didn’t even hear about them, as news about Hungary only reached Western Europe in times of extraordinary historical events– such as the adoption of Christianity at the turn of the 11th century, or the devastating Tatar invasion in 1241-1242. Obtaining information about the Hungarians from books was also difficult, as medieval Europe, even as late as in the 15th-16th centuries, lacked libraries that would have offered greater numbers of works on Hungary or on Hungarian topics. On top of it all, works that contained the most detailed and accurate information remained unknown, in their own period; posterity only found them in rare manuscript copies discovered much later. Yet once collected, we find that these sources, originating from distant parts of the continent and written for different purposes, contain information about Hungary and the Hungarians that most often reaffirm one another. This work examines these sources and sets out to answer four major questions: What did people in medieval Western Europe know, think, and believe about the Hungarians and Hungary? To what degree was this knowledge constant or fluid over the centuries that made up the medieval era, and were changes in knowledge followed by any changes in appreciation? Where was the country located in the hierarchy of European countries on the basis of the knowledge, suppositions, and beliefs relating to it? What were the most important elements in this image of the Hungarians and of Hungary, and which of them became the most enduring stereotypes?

Hungary and the Hungarians

The Corvina History of Hungary

Mentions that although the ca. 700,000 Jews in Hungary were emancipated in 1849 and 1867, increasing nationalism in the 1880s was accompanied by a rise in antisemitism and the founding of an antisemitic political party. Following World War I, the Jews served as scapegoats for the dissatisfactions of the middle class and the army. Discusses the antisemitic legislation of the 1920s-30s and the right-wing antisemitic parties, including the Arrow Cross. The chapter on Hungary during the Second World War describes the deportation of over 450,000 Jews after the German occupation in 1944 and the murder of Jews by the Arrow Cross regime. Notes that although many leaders of the postwar Stalinist regime were Jews, they carried out purges against Jews in the guise of anti-Zionism.

A History of Modern Hungary, 1867-1986

A History of Hungary: Millennium in Central Europe provides a comprehensive yet approachable survey of Hungarian history from the prehistoric age to the present day. Politics and culture, economic, social and intellectual developments, and the wider European context are integrated in a single narrative. László Kontler adeptly steers the reader through ancient times, the great migration of peoples, and the creation and troubles of a Christian monarchy that arose in the region wedged between the Baltic and the Balkans, and the Germanic and Russian lands. He then explores factors such as socio-economic backwardness and foreign rule which put Hungary at a disadvantage in coping with the challenges of modernity - a process marked by revolutions, wars of independence, historic compromises and territorial losses. The book includes a detailed discussion of the 'socialist' period, while a brief Epilogue assesses the achievements and the difficulties of the present process of transition to democracy.

Hungarian History in the Ninth Century

Géza Pálffy traces the complex relations between Hungary and the Habsburgs, including the integration of the country into a conglomerate central European state ruled from Vienna and Prague. Focusing on institutions and symbols of sovereignty, Pálffy demonstrates how Hungary was integrated into a larger monarchy yet at the same time preserved its independence and the power and influence of its upper estates. Her argument challenges the traditional view that early-modern Hungary resisted and rebelled against the Hapsburgs.

The Kingdom of Hungary and the Habsburg Monarchy in the Sixteenth Century

The history of Hungary is a captivating narrative that spans over a millennium. From its origins as a tribal confederation in the Carpathian Basin to the establishment of the Hungarian Kingdom in the 9th century, Hungary has undergone a rich tapestry of events. It endured centuries of foreign rule, including the Mongol invasion and Ottoman occupation, before achieving independence as a dual monarchy with Austria in the 19th century. The 20th century witnessed turbulent times, marked by World War I, the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the aftermath of World War II. Hungary fell under Soviet influence during the Cold War but eventually transitioned to a democratic republic in 1989. Today, it stands as a thriving European nation with a unique cultural heritage and a dynamic role in Central Europe.

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History of Hungary

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