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- History of Hungary 1945-2000: From Communism to Democracy
- CEUS-R 349/549
- Balázs Ablonczy
The course offers an overview of the postwar Hungary and an interpretation of the present situation in this East Central European country. At the outset the postwar situation, the short-lived democratic experience (1945-1948) will be also considered and the gradual communist takeover as well. This period is followed by the presentation of the totalitarian period of the Hungarian communism (1948-1956), including the reform period of Imre Nagy. Special emphasis would be given to the revolution of 1956 and the freedom fight in October-November 1956 against the Soviet troops and the forces supporting the dictatorship. The repression after the revolution, the wave of the exiles will be presented as well as the “goulash-communism” of János Kádár (1959-1989), a relaxed dictatorship in the country, with his welfare-institutions and a slow modernization of Hungary. The course will depict the increasing tensions inside the Hungarian society during the ’80, the economical exhausting of the regime and thecollapse of the communism in 1989-1990. In the last part of the course, a quick overview upon the introduction of the market economy, parliamentary democracy, and NATO and EU membership of Hungary will be underlined.
