Evening star., 1940-09-18
Hungory's Turbulent
History Reviewed
Lond of Hord-Ridinq
Moeyors Once More
Is in the News

To the Editor Of The Star:
Hungary's ambitions are very much to
the fore now. 1t is country with q
valiant and turbulent past.
Going back to $50 AID, part OF the
territory was called Pannonia, part
Dacia. In 400 AID. Attila the Hun ruled
there is splendor. Later Slavonic and
Teutonic tribss came III. Also the
Hunno-Turk Avars, whom Charlemagne,
about IT'S, forced to behave, and finally,
about the year 900, under Arpad their
cheftain, rode in the lowly Magyars,
Of remotely Mongolian descent.
Not satisfied In their new dominion,
these hard-riding warriors made savage
inroads into the Balkans and through
Germany clear down into the south Of
France. The great emperor Otto | put
an end to that in s55. Forty-five years
later the nation became Christianized.
The Pope recognized Stephen as king and
conferred on him the title of Most
Apostolic Majesty" still borne by the
now deposed Hapsburgs. Peter the
Hermit and the Crusaders came in 1896,
received in friendly fashion by the
HungarianS, who nevertheless gave them
a cavalry escort to the borders of the
kingdom. for these soldiers of the Cross
were not to be trusted to leave un-
disturbed anything not nailed down.
The 18th century with its lengthy
Turkish wars was eastern Europe's heroic
age. Great names in Magyar history
are JanoS Hunyadi 1440) and his son
Matthias Corvinus Q470). Their kings
were elected, and were OF various ma
ionalities-French, Angevin, Polish, and
Bohemian The Hapsburgs appeared in
1925, first as elected, later as hereditary
rulers. By that time, due to serious mill
tary reverses, the Turks were in pos
session of half the country.
During all these years and for many
to come the nation, monarchy in
theory, was governed in practice by
great landholders or magnates. Their
traditional privileges were modified in
the "Tripartitum" of 1907, three point
arrangement in which were defined the
status of the Magyar grandees, their
Magyar peasants, and subject Slavic
1845. There were also Diets of limited
powers
At the same time, but directly under
the king, there was created the Military
Frontier along the southern border of
the kingdom. This was a district in
which Croatian and Serbian veterans Of
the wars received taX-free allotments of
land. which they titled, with the under
standing that a the least sign of Turk
invasion they were to be ready for in
slant service. The Turkish danger re-
manned a live issue until Prince Eugene
of Savoys time in 1920, and many
famous battles and sieges occurred until
the Ottomans were definitely thrown
back into the Balkans.
Came the Magyar rebellion of 1948
(Kossuth) against Hapsburg rule. which
had gradually trimmed down the au-
thority Of the mobiles. The Hapsburgs,
assisted by Hungary's oppressed
peoples Ban TelIalithD won. There
after these underprivileged Croatians
Rumanians, and Slavonians received
better treatment as to the use of their
languages in schools. law courses, etc.
But now the nation as a whole was
despotically ruled from Vienna as an
Austrian province. A reviving revolu-
tionary spirit brought the "Ausgleich"
agreement of 1867, establishing Hungary
as Magyar dominion on a parity with
German-controlled Austria. with Austria
still having some say in the army and
foreign affairs. The downtrodden on
both sides of the fence remained i'll
pleased, but it meant progress, be-
cause a parliament in the modern sense
began to function. Everybody had little
something to say.
Then came 1918, with its breakup and
dissection of the empire The practi-
TONERS Of Versailles amputated, quite
properly, with their minds on race,
language and ideals of a democratic
system of government. AS we now see,
they failed. Hitler's approach is differ
ent: he thinks and acts in terms Of
territory.
September ID. FRED VETTER.