Tamás Horváth A History of Hungary

Produktbeskrivelse

This sweeping narrative tells the epic story of Hungary, a nation forged in the heart of Europe against incredible odds. It begins before the arrival of the Magyars, exploring the ancient peoples of the Carpathian Basin, and follows the dramatic story of the conquest that established a permanent homeland. From the founding of a powerful Christian kingdom under Saint Stephen I through the glories of the Árpád and Angevin dynasties, the book charts the rise of a major European power. It recounts the glittering Renaissance court of Matthias Corvinus, a beacon of culture and learning, before plunging into the darkness of the Battle of Mohács and the devastating Mongol and Ottoman invasions that threatened the kingdom's very existence. The story navigates the complex centuries of foreign domination that followed, detailing the nation's tragic division into three parts under Ottoman and Habsburg rule. It explores the unique role of the semi-independent Principality of Transylvania as a bastion of Hungarian culture and Protestantism, and chronicles the recurring wars for independence against the Habsburgs. This history brings to life the great national awakening of the 19th century, standing with the revolutionaries of 1848, witnessing the creation of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, and marching into the crucible of the First World War that would change the map of Europe forever. Plunging into the tumultuous 20th century, the book examines the national trauma of the Treaty of Trianon, which stripped the country of two-thirds of its territory, and the subsequent interwar years under the regency of Miklós Horthy. It provides a detailed account of Hungary's catastrophic alliance with Nazi Germany in the Second World War and the subsequent establishment of a rigid, Soviet-backed Communist dictatorship. The narrative vividly recounts the heroic uprising of 1956, its brutal suppression by Soviet tanks, and the long, strange era of "Goulash Communism" under János Kádár that followed, a unique experiment in consumerism behind the Iron Curtain. Concluding in the contemporary era, this history details the peaceful "negotiated revolution" of 1989 that brought an end to one-party rule and the nation's euphoric "return to Europe" with its entry into the European Union in 2004. It explores the political and economic challenges of the post-communist transition and provides a clear-eyed look at the dramatic and controversial political turns of the 21st century. This comprehensive and engaging account offers a balanced guide to the turbulent past and complex present of one of Europe's most fascinating and resilient nations.

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