Blake Henry, Sana Sheikholeslami, Christian Huhn, Emma Kaufman
G-H
Western Civilization
May 20, 2014
Hungary
Many countries in Eastern Europe have struggled throughout history. They have been oppressed, controlled, and silenced by more dominant world powers. Despite this, some countries have been able to gain independence and become prominent in the Western World. These countries have gained authority in world affairs, become members of the European Union, and have shaped the Western World. Hungary has become an example of one of these countries. Despite its unstable past, Hungary is becoming increasingly influential. Throughout the twentieth century, Hungary was under the rule of Eastern European powers or in the midst of an unstable government, thus, Hungary was uninfluential during World War II and the Cold War; however, Hungary has since seized the opportunity of independence and flourished with a booming economy and stable government, driving Hungary to be an influential nation in the Western World.
Hungary had a minimal influence on the outcome of World War II. Before, the disbandment of Austria-Hungary, Austria-Hungary and Germany had formed an alliance. Germany and Hungary maintained the alliance after the separation of Austria-Hungary. Between the years of 1938 and 1941, Germany began to take over Europe. Germany gave the Hungarians sections of the land they conquered (“Case Study: Hungary”). However, in June 1941, when the Germans were defeated by the Russians at Stalingrad, the Hungarians tried to pull out of the alliance (“Case Study: Hungary”). In order to stop the separation, Germany invaded Hungary and set up their own government faithful to the Nazi Party (“Case Study: Hungary”). In mid-October of 1944, the Germa...
... middle of paper ...
...y nature the member nations are accomplished and ultimately have a say in the Western World. Though they are not as influential as established world powers, such as the United States, China, and Great Britain, Hungary has developed strong roots, which will allow future growth as a powerful nation.
Hungary has faced many obstacles in the past; it has been overshadowed and controlled by dominant country. The oppression of the Hungarian people during World War II and the Cold War, increased the desire for democracy and an independent nation. This desire allowed the Hungarians to unite and rise above their past and create a prominent nation. Overall, modern-day Hungary has become an influential country due to its past and current situation. Hungary’s strong economy, potent government, and accepted position in world affairs has established it as an influential power.
After World War II, Europe emerged as a continent torn between two very different political ideologies, Communism and Democracy. As the two major superpowers, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States, struggled to defend their respective governmental policies, the European Continent was caught in an intrinsic struggle to preserve the autonomy which had taken so long to achieve. During the Cold War, Eastern European nations struggled to achieve autonomy with the help of the West's dedication to break the Soviet sphere of influence. After the disintegration of the USSR, the struggle for autonomy among nations shifted from an intense, inward, nationalistic struggle to break away from a superpower to a commitment of international unity and cooperation as nations began to take moral and political responsibility for their actions.
During the 20th century, the rise of communism sparked rage in people throughout the world. More towards the end of the 1900's the fall of communism and dictatorships was just the beginning of what would eventually be a large democratic change for several countries. 1989: Democratic Revolutions at the Cold War's End, speaks about the change brought to several different countries from the 1980's-1990's and plans to show "the global transformations that marked the end of the cold war and shaped the era in which we live"(Pg V). During the cold war, communist had power and control over a large area and spread communism throughout several continents. This book specifically hits on six different studies of where communism and dictatorship affected these areas and what they did to stop it. Poland, Philippines, Chile, South Africa, Ukraine, and China throughout the end of the 20th century created revolutionary movements which brought them all one step closer to freeing themselves and creating democratic change.
The seventeenth century was undeniably a period of great division, war and turmoil for Hungary. After the events of the previous century, Hungary remained divided into three distinct areas. The largest was Ottoman Hungary, under the direct control of Constantinople, which encompassed the south and south-east of Hungary. Second, there was the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom founded by János Zápolyai in 1526, who after the defeat of the Hungarian forces at the First Battle of Mohács sought the support of Sultan Suleiman I to be crowned King of Hungary by a rival faction of the nobility and became the Sultan’s vassal. After 1571, with the coronation of István Báthory, this Kingdom became the Principality of Transylvania which was semi-autonomous with Habsburgs and Ottomans vying for control. Lastly there was Royal Hungary, the only part of Hungary still under Habsburg control in this period. It consisted of the western and north-western areas that had been secured by Ferdinand I after being declared King of Hungary by the pro-Habsburg part of the noblity in 1526. This division remained the status quo into the seventeenth century. In this essay, it will be argued that due to this division the Habsburgs found it impossible to consolidate power in Hungary as well as a variety of other factors such as, confessional divisions in Hungary opposed to the Catholic dynasty, Habsburg priorities resting in religious conflict in Germany and securing influence in the Mediterranean from Ottoman and French fleets, Habsburg involvement in the Thirty Years War and the revived Franco-Ottoman Alliance. All these factors together ensured that the Habsburg would not gain control of Hungary until 1699.
On March 19, 1944, Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Hungary making life for Hungarian Jews more difficult than it was. Before Germany had invaded Hungary, there were already anti-Jewish laws, and other conditions that were applied to Hungary, because Hungary was allied to Germany during part of the war. Although Hungary was allied with the Germans, there were disagreements that occurred between the two allies. One of the disagreements was that Hungary was not willing to send its troops to the Soviet Union for battle (On the German Occupation of Hungary). Hungary was very cautious about sending its troops for German assaults, because a lot of their soldiers had been killed in the fighting, and they didn’t want that to happen (On German Occupation of Hungary). Hungary also started to see that Germany would not win the war, therefore the government started to secretly negotiate surrender between Hungary and the allies (Hungary after the German Occupation). Hitler found out about this, and with all of the disagreements that occurred, the uncovering of the secret negotiations resul...
...t, John Pearce; Kaufman, Richard F. (1995), East-Central European Economies in Transition, M.E. Sharpe, ISBN 1-56324-612-013. The Aftermath of the Second World War." The Aftermath of the Second World War. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
Wolfsgrüber, Cölestin. “The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 18 December 2011
2.Chiva, Cristina. "Women In Post-Communist Politics: Explaining Under-Representation In The Hungarian And Romanian Parliaments." Europe-Asia Studies 57.7 (2005): 969-994. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
Living in the crumbled remains of Germany, or the Weimar Republic, in the 1920’s was a dismal existence. Hyperinflation was rampant and the national debt skyrocketed as a result of the punishing features of the Treaty of Versailles. During the depression, however, a mysterious Austrian emerged from the depths of the German penal system and gave the desperate German people a glimpse of hope in very dark times. He called for a return to “Fatherland” principles where greater Germany was seen as the center of their universe with zealous pride. Under Hitler’s leadership, Nazi Germany rapidly grew and expanded, continually approaching the goal of world domination and the “Thousand-Year Reich” that Hitler promised the German people. Only a few years later, Nazi Wehrmacht soldiers could be seen marching the streets from Paris to Leningrad (St. Petersburg, Russia). The German Empire, however, like all other expansive empires, had its limits and integral components such as resources, manpower, and industrial capacity began to fall in short supply further crippling the Nazi war machine. Basically, by 1944, “Nazi Germany’s fundamental problem was that she has conquered more territory than she could defend” (Ambrose, 27). Hitler conquered a vast area and vowed to defend every single inch of his empire with every last drop of blood at his disposal. As Frederick the Great warned, “He who defends everything, defends nothing” (Ambrose, 33). It is interesting to study any empire’s rise and fall because similarities are always present, even with some nations today promising to fight the evil, when it reality, it might be becoming what it vows to fight.
Eastern Europe and the forming of economic alliances in reaction. At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union began transforming the newly freed countries and engulfed them one by one until all of Eastern Europe was part of the Soviet Union. The United States became alarmed with the growing of communism in Europe and set up...
The world plunged into World War II in 1939, from the unsettlement between countries. Different countries had different ideas about world affairs. Some countries preferred appeasement and other countries preferred collective securities to solve problems such as the turmoil in Germany. According to the circumstances of Europe during 1939, from economic depression and unsettlement between countries, collective security was the best answer. Appeasement was attempted, but it turned out to be a failure.
The coalitions brought by the Versailles Treaty contributed greatly to starting WWII. The Treaty was responsible for the formation of the Allies. However, when made, these alliances were based on promises from the superpowers, particularly France. This ensured that Germany would not have support from the smaller countries in Europe (Document B). Belgium had aligned itself with France previously, and it continued to do so, but Czechoslovakia and Poland...
The Poles who were West Slavic people established Poland in the late 5th century. History was first written in the 10th century about Poland when the Polish nation changed into Christianity in 966. Prince Mieszko I was the first ruler and his son, Boleslaw I, was the first king of Poland. This established the Piast dynasty that lasted from 966 to 1370. During the Piast dynasty there where Piast kings with a lot of rivalries from nobility and Bohemian and Germanic invasions that made Poland a very troubled country. The last king of the dynasty was Casimir III, crowned in 1333. He extended Polish influence eastward to Lithuania and Russia. He acquired Pomerania from the Teutonic Knights and shifted borders between Poland and Germany. During his 37-year reign a university was established, laws were made more organized, castles grew strong, and minority groups were given protection (Grolier).
The cultural differences between the United States and Czech Republic stem from their unique historical evolution across centuries, from their geographical position, specific traditions, surrounding peoples and cultures, structure of population, and traditional and economic ties with other countries. Over the last 15 years, the Czech Republic has transitioned from a centralist socialist economy to a democratic capitalistic economy. In May 2004, the Czech Republic joined the European Union, which has allowed the Czech economy to obtain a larger market share resulting in greater monetary prosperity. A free market economy has helped the Czech Republic become one of the most prosperous countries to exit from the socialist regime (CountryWatch, 2008).
The Capitalism versus Communism showdown that occurred during the Cold War has left profound effects on Europe today. In 2014 The fourteen poorest countries in Europe, by GDP per capita, hailed in Eastern Europe (World Economic Outlook). Nearly all of those countries subscribed to a Communist philosophy during the Cold War. Furthermore, Eastern European countries are still suffering the consequences from underdevelopment during and after the Cold War. Consequently, Eastern Europeans are still trying to catch up to their Western brethren. Furthermore, much of the political power within Europe is held by Western Europeans and several Eastern nations have not yet gained admittance into the European Union. Overall the East-West divide during the Cold War is still having systematic consequences on how Europe is shaped today and how it will be shaped moving forward. Another divide in modern Europe is the North-South divide. The recent European debt crisis highlighted the vast economic discrepancies between Northern and Southern European countries. Southern countries like Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, and Spain suffer tremendously from piling debt and Northern European nations have felt burdened by their neighbors to the South. However, if Northern countries do not come to the aid of their fiscally irresponsible brothers than the entire economic system of the Euro
Also a strong influence on Austria is its previous 50 year involvement in the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867-1918. During this time, Austria already had a strong alliance with Germany, and Austria infrequently held power over the German states during this time period. During a treaty made by the emperor at the time, Austria was lumped with Hungary as one state, binding the countries together. The people of the Empire were not consulted for this act, nor were they generally happy with it. However, throughout the remaining years of the Empire, the countries exchanged influences throughout each others cultures. As the countries melted together, their political distinctions soon began to disappear and this area was often referred to simply as Austria by the end of the Empires existence (The Editors). This German and Hungarian influence can be found in most regions of Austria and its cuisine to this day...