History of Hungary

Hungary is a country in Central Europe with a rich and complex history. Its modern borders were set after 1946 and cover the Great Hungarian Plain, also known as the Carpathian Basin. Many different groups lived in this area for thousands of years, including Scythian tribes, Celtic tribes, Dalmatian tribes, Germanic tribes, Sarmatians, and the Romans.

In the early years of the Common Era, the Huns created a large empire here under Attila the Hun. Later, the Hungarians, led by Álmos and his son Árpád, settled in the Carpathian Basin between 862 and 895, forming the Principality of Hungary. In the year 1000, King Saint Stephen established the Christian Kingdom of Hungary, which became a strong European power.

During the medieval period, Hungary expanded and entered a union with Croatia. In the 16th century, the country faced invasions from the Ottomans. After a long struggle, Hungary was divided into three parts until it was reunited under Habsburg rule in the early 18th century.

Following World War I, Hungary lost large parts of its territory and population due to the Treaty of Trianon in 1920. The country went through various governments, including periods under German and Soviet occupation during World War II. After the war, Hungary became a socialist People's Republic until the end of communism in 1989-1990. Since then, Hungary has been a democratic nation and joined the European Union in 2004.

Early history

Prehistory

The earliest humans in the area lived there about 300,000 years ago. Modern humans arrived around 33,000 years ago. Farming began around 6000 BC, and people started using metal around 3000 BC.

The Iron Age began around 800 BC. During this time, many different groups lived in the area, including the Scythians, Celts, and others. By 370 BC, the Celts had taken control of much of the land. They were good at farming and making pottery.

Roman rule

Main articles: Pannonia and Roman Dacia

The Romans came to the area and took control. They built cities and roads, making life easier for people. However, wars and attacks sometimes caused trouble. Later, the Romans left, and other groups moved in.

Migration period

Main article: Migration Period

Many groups moved into the area during this time, causing changes and sometimes destruction. The Romans left, and new leaders took over. The land saw many battles and changes in power.

In 453, a leader named Attila died, and his group broke apart. New groups, like the Ostrogoths and Gepids, took control for a while. Later, the Lombards and then the Avars came to rule the land.

The Avars controlled a large area and often fought with other empires. After some time, their power weakened, and new groups began to settle in the land.

Medieval Hungary

Conquest and early principality (895–1000)

The Hungarians started the Hungarian state. They came from far away lands and arrived under leaders Grand Prince Álmos and his son Árpád. They set up the first royal family, the Árpád dynasty. They settled in a place called the Carpathian Basin. They sometimes fought with nearby groups but found it easy to settle near the Sava and Nyitra rivers. Their strength let them reach as far as modern Spain.

A big battle in 955 stopped their raids in the west. Duke Géza wanted Hungary to join Christian Europe. He chose his son Vajk, later King Stephen I, to be next leader. After Géza died, Stephen took control.

The name Hungary comes from old writings about the Magyars.

Patrimonial Kingdom (1000–1301)

Hungary became known as an Apostolic Kingdom when King Saint Stephen I was crowned with the Holy Crown of Hungary. He set up churches and changed the writing system. The land was split into areas called counties.

King Saint Ladislaus made Hungary stronger and helped bring in Christianity. He also helped connect Hungary with Croatia.

The Árpád family ruled for many years. King Béla III made the kingdom bigger. King Andrew II went on a big journey called the Fifth Crusade and made an important document called the Diploma Andreanum to protect certain people.

Andrew II agreed to the Golden Bull of 1222. This gave nobles more power and helped start the Parliament.

Mongol invasions

In 1241–1242, Hungary was attacked by the Mongols. The Hungarian army lost a big battle, and King Béla IV had to run away. Many people were hurt and many places were destroyed. The Mongols left some tools behind. King Béla IV built stone castles for safety. When the Mongols came back in 1286, the new castles stopped them. These castles also helped later against the Ottoman Empire.

Late medieval period (1301–1526)

After some years without a king, Charles I took control and made the kingdom strong again. He used money from gold mines. The Renaissance started in Hungary, and a printing press was set up in Buda in 1472.

Louis the Great made Hungary’s land bigger and became king of Poland too. He fought against Venice and the Ottomans.

After Louis the Great died, Sigismund became king by marrying Louis’s daughter Mary. He had to deal with some problems but made things better. He called a big meeting called the Council of Constance.

John Hunyadi was a strong leader who fought the Ottoman Turks, including a big siege in Belgrade in 1456. His son, Matthias Corvinus, became king in 1458. Matthias loved learning and built a big library.

By 1526, Hungary was not ready for big threats. The Ottoman Empire was strong, and Hungary lost a big battle. King Louis II died in that battle.

Early modern period

Ottoman wars

See also: Eastern Hungarian Kingdom; Ottoman Hungary; Kingdom of Hungary (1526–1867); Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711); and Stephen Bathory, King of Poland

After the Ottomans won a big battle, they took over parts of Hungary and kept moving forward until 1556. This time was very confusing, with Hungarian leaders choosing two kings at once, Szapolyai and the Austrian Ferdinand of Habsburg. Fighting between these two kings made Hungary weaker. When the Turks took Buda in 1541, Hungary split into three parts.

The northwestern part of Hungary stayed under Habsburg rule, led by King Ferdinand. This area included parts of what is now Slovakia, western Transdanubia, Burgenland, and northeastern Hungary. The eastern part, including Partium and Transylvania, started as an independent area but later became a part of the Ottoman Empire. The central part, with Buda as its capital, became a province of the Ottoman Empire. Many places were damaged by the constant wars. People could only live safely in bigger towns protected by the Sultan.

Anti-Habsburg uprisings

Further information: Kingdom of Hungary (1526–1867)

Between 1604 and 1711, there were many uprisings against Habsburg rule. Most of these happened in Royal Hungary but were planned from Transylvania. The last big uprising was led by Francis II Rákóczi, who became the leader of Hungary after the Habsburgs were removed in 1707.

Even though the rebels had some wins, they lost a big battle in 1708. After the uprising ended in 1711, Rákóczi escaped to Poland, then France, and finally Turkey, where he died in 1735 in Tekirdağ. The Austrians tore down many border castles to stop any more uprisings.

Modern history

Period of Reforms (1825–1848)

Hungarian nationalism grew among people who learned about the Age of Enlightenment and Romanticism. They wanted to use the Magyar language instead of Latin in schools and government. In the 1820s, Emperor Francis I had to call a meeting of the Hungarian leaders. Count István Széchenyi worked to help Hungary change and grow. The Hungarian Parliament met in 1825 to discuss money matters. A group of liberal people formed, caring about farmers and workers. Lajos Kossuth became an important leader in Parliament. The rulers of Austria tried to stop changes, but Hungary still made some progress.

Revolution and war of independence

On 15 March 1848, people in Pest and Buda marched and asked for changes. The Hungarian leaders passed the April Laws, which gave more rights to people. The emperor first agreed but later changed his mind. In 1849, Hungary said it was independent and made its first republic with Lajos Kossuth as leader.

Hungary had problems with some groups who wanted to break away, and they were helped by the Austrian rulers. Even though Hungary won some early battles, it was defeated by Austrian and Russian soldiers in 1849. The leader, General Artúr Görgey, gave up, and some leaders had to leave or were punished.

Austria-Hungary (1867–1918)

After losing some big battles, the emperor agreed to the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. This created a dual monarchy where Hungary and Austria were ruled separately but shared the same king and some policies. The economy grew, and Budapest became an important city.

World War I

After Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed in 1914, Austria-Hungary joined World War I. Hungary sent many soldiers and lost many people. By 1918, the empire broke apart, and Hungary said it was independent.

Interwar period (1918–1939)

After World War I, Hungary lost land and had trouble with its government. There was a short time when communists were in charge, followed by a government led by Admiral Horthy. The Treaty of Trianon in 1920 made Hungary much smaller, which made many people unhappy.

World War II

During World War II, Hungary was with the Axis powers. It helped Germany when they attacked Yugoslavia and joined Operation Barbarossa. In 1944, Soviet soldiers came into Hungary and fought hard in the siege of Budapest. The war caused a lot of damage and many losses.

Post-war communist period

After the war, Soviet soldiers stayed in Hungary. A communist government took control and changed many things. In 1956, people rose up against the communist rulers, but Soviet forces stopped them, which caused many sad events.

Third Republic (since 1989)

In 1989, Hungary became a democracy. Free elections were held in 1990. Hungary joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. Since then, the country has had changes in its government and economy.