Syllabus
The course is structured chronologically. Each week we will discuss a decade, with some classes focusing on key events in Hungary. Classes will be held in a seminar setting, with discussions and readings, through which students will be familiarised with the general historical and political background, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the various social, cultural and political aspects of the history of this period through a focus of specific themes. These themes will include: women and gender roles; film, music and other forms of entertainment; crime; commemorative practices; protest; and cultural politics. The course will be taught with the aid of a variety of sources, such as film, music, literature, contemporary publications and archival sources.
Weekly structure: 1. Introduction – the Communist take-over in Hungary 2. Stalinism in Hungary (1948-1956) 3. The 1956 revolution 4. The aftermath of the revolution (1956-1960) 5. Goulash communism (1960s) 6. The 1970s 7. The 1980s 8. 1989 9. Post-1989: free elections and the challenges of democracy 10. The Millennium commemorations (2000-2001) 11. NATO, EU and unfinished revolutions? 12. Conclusion (student presentations)
Annotation
This course examines the history of Hungary from 1945 to 2010, covering the end of the Second World War and the Communist takeover, the Communist regime, system change and the first 20 years of Hungarian democracy after 1989. During the course students will study the key events of Hungarian history after 1945: the Communist take-over, the Stalinist period, the 1956 revolution, János Kádár’s ‘goulash Communism’, the 1989 roundtable talks, the regime’s collapse, and the shift (and challenges) to a democratic system of governance.