Árpád von Klimó - Hungary since 1945

In geopolitical terms, the significance of Hungary lying on the political fault line between East and West for the past seventy-five years has far outweighed the modest size of its population. This book charts the main events of these tumultuous decades, including the 1956 Uprising, the end of Hungarian Communism, entry into the European Union and the rise to power of Viktor Orbn and the national-conservative ruling party Fidesz.

rpd von Klim is at The Catholic University of America and has carried out extensive research in different fields of nineteenth- and twentieth-century European history, mostly on Hungary, Italy and Germany.

www.routledge.com/Routledge-Histories-of-Central-and-Eastern-Europe/book-series/CEE

1Hungary since 1945

rpd von Klim, translated by Kevin McAleer

rpd von Klim

Translated by Kevin McAleer

First published 2018

by Routledge

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and by Routledge

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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2018 rpd von Klim, English language translation by Kevin McAleer

The right of rpd von Klim to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Originally published in German Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH& Co. KG

rpd von Klim, Ungarn seit 1945, Gttingen, 2006

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Klim, rpd von, author. | McAleer, Kevin, 1961 translator.

Title: Hungary since 1945 / rpd von Klim ; translated by Kevin McAleer.

Other titles: Ungarn seit 1945. English

Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017040661 | ISBN 9781138226562 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315397429 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: HungaryHistory1945-1989. | HungaryPolitics and government19451989. | HungaryHistory1989 | HungaryPolitics and government1989

Classification: LCC DB956 .K5813 2018 | DDC 943.905dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017040661

ISBN: 978-1-138-22656-2 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-315-39742-9 (ebk)

Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC

I have to thank Robert Langham, who has asked me to update the translation of my German book which appeared in 2006 at Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. Thanks also to Vandenhoeck that they allow the publication of an English translation. I also have to express my gratitude to Kevin McAleer, an American in Berlin, writer and translator, novelist and historian. His translation conveys really well the content and style of my German original. Most recently, since I have begun to write English books myself, I have been learning how difficult this can be.

I also would like to thank Thomas Mergel, friend and colleague from Berlin, who had initiated this project back in 2004 as Volume 2 of the series on European Contemporary History after his own volume on Britain since 1945. His book inspired me a lot. I would also like to thank Martin Schulze-Wessel from Munich, who has provided important insights and profound critique. Numerous colleagues have supported this project with their encouragement and ideas. Most of all, Bla Tomka (Szeged), Eszter Zsfia Tth and Sndor Horvth (Budapest) who mostly helped me with the chapters on social policies and lifestyles. Andr Steiner (Potsdam), one of the leading historians of Communist economies, has read critically the chapter on the economy. My friend and colleague, the late Zoltn Tth (Miskolc), was my mentor for many years since the mid-1990s. Other historians who have contributed to a better understanding of certain aspects of Hungarian history were Zsombor Bdy (Pzmny Pter Katolikus Egyetem), Susan Zimmermann (CEU Budapest) and Krisztin Ungvry (Budapest). I would also express my gratitude to Krisztina Csrgei, Annina Gagyiova and Meike Rademacher, who helped me tremendously to get the German version published in 2006. Extremely valuable were also the critical remarks and comments of the three anonymous readers of the translation. Compared to the German edition of 2006, I have corrected all errors, thoroughly edited the text and added much with regard to the partly very dramatic events of the last decade. Since moving to Washington, DC, my work also has profited enormously from the help of Kenneth Nyrdy of the Library of Congress, and of all the support and help from my friends and colleagues at The Catholic University of America. I dedicate the book to my beloved aunt, Sri Klim (Paksy Istvnn), who lived a long, wonderful life full of love for others.