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Károlyie & Bethlen, Hungary: Makers of the Modern World, The Peace Conferences of 1919-23 and Their Aftermarth (Haus Histories)

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In this book, Bryan Cartledge explores the Treaty of Trianon and the political careers of two very contrasting Hungarian politicians (the left-leaning Mihaly Karolyi and the conservative Istvan Bethlen) who significantly impacted Hungary's fate during that era.

Cartledge explains Hungary's status in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Hungary's opposition to start a war after assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand - a war that eventually evolved into World War I. He also explains the various ethnic groups' (living in Austria-Hungary) independence aspirations predating WWI, and how these aspirations received support from the victorious Allies (France, UK, USA, Italy, and Japan). Cartledge describes the impact of the war on Austria-Hungary, including food and coal shortages, and how the circumstances led to two successive revolutions in Hungary: the October 1918 Aster Revolution, and the March 1919 Communist takeover. The reader develops an appreciation how the Allies' maneuvering contributed to the Communist takeover, and how the existence of a Communist Hungarian State was viewed as a threat, thereby creating an even more hostile environment against Hungary during the Peace Conference. Cartledge exposes the unintended (yet fatal) flaws in the structure of the Peace Conference that contributed to harsher than intended redrawing of Hungary's borders. Cartledge also explains the key players' attitudes toward Hungary that was typically "Magyarphobic" and biased. He clearly describes that the Allies abandoned President Wilson's 14 points, and that Hungary was invited to the Peace Conference at a date when the decisions had already been made.

Regarding the aftermath, Cartledge makes the point that the Treaty of Trianon was an unjust dictate that not only dismembered Hungary (which lost two thirds of its territory), but it failed to recognize ethnic distribution, and delivered three million Hungarians (every third Hungarian at the time) to minority status in hostile Successor States (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania). Cartledge explains the origins of anti-Magyar sentiments by the ethnic majorities in the Successor States.

The complex events are presented without major simplification, yet in a way that the reader can follow them well. The account Cartledge gives is objective, unbiased.

There were some statements that could be disputed. On p. 142, Cartledge commented that "pro-German sentiment had always been strong in Hungary." The reality is that the sentiment was ambiguous at best. Cartledge himself alludes in this book to Hungary's repeated freedom fights to regain its independence from Austria, and the Magyars bitterness when Austria gained territory from Hungary as part of the Treaty of Trianon. During WWII, Hungary was a reluctant ally of Nazi Germany (see John F. Montgomery: Hungary, The Unwilling Satellite), and the pro-German sentiment was primarily driven by a strong anti-Soviet, anti-Communist stance, which was in part due to the experiences with the Soviet (Council) Republic of Hungary under Bela Kun in 1919.

Regardless of (very few) minor disputable statements such as the one quoted, this book is an excellent account of the events that had reshaped the map of Central Europe. In the Epilogue, Cartledge expressed his opinion that Hungary and the so-called Successor States becoming members of the European Union should reduce the damaging impact of Trianon. He cited the Status Law enacted by the Hungarian Parliament as a source of friction between Hungary and the Successor States, but he did not cover anti-Magyar policies still being implemented in the Successor States. Even today, the Szekelys (also known as Szeklers, a subpopulation of ethnic Hungarians in Romania) struggle to regain their Autonomous Region status that was taken away in the 1960s under Ceausescu - although 20 years have passed since Ceausescu's ousting and the collapse of Communism in Romania, and in spite of Hungary's support of Romania's joining the European Union. Cartledge did not follow Trianon's aftermath to the present - a missed opportunity. Czechoslovakia broke up twice (during WWII and after the collapse of Communism) because Slovakians could not realize their aspirations under Czech dominance. Yugoslavia also proved to be an unsustainable conglomerate. Probably these ramifications are too much rooted in present-day politics to be included in a book about the Treaty of Trianon.

One just hopes that the tensions that Trianon generated will eventually dissipate as a consequence of the European Union, and the affected nations will learn to peacefully live together based on mutual respect. Bryan Cartledge's historical account may help to achieve that goal by openly discussing the problems that haunt the region since (and before) Trianon.