Hungary/Hungarians: Development of a Nation
How Hungary became Hungary, and how the Hungarians became Hungarian.

How Hungarians (Magyars) as a people, and the country of Hungary as a nation-state, evolved and materialized into current form, in terms of ancestral bloodlines, the Hungarian language, borders, culture, and even how they received their name.

Ancestral Background
Development of Language
Formation of Borders
Etymology (How Name Received)
Culture
Hungary in 2008

Hungarian Ancestral Background:
 

1. Hungarians originated with Proto-Uralic peoples in the Ural Mountains region in Russian region. Magyar (ancestors to modern Hungarians) and Finnish were both part of this group, with the Finnish heading west around 3000 BC. The Magyars would migrate south along the Ural Mountain range, toward modern Southern Russia.
2. By around 700, Magyars migrated migrate west to the Don River basin in Russia. Here, they were subordinate to the Turkic Khazar Empire.
3. Magyars migrated west again due to civil wars in the Khazar Kingdom in the early 9th century, ending up in modern Ukraine.
4. In 895, the Magyars migrated into the Carpathian Basin of modern Hungary, which would become a Magyar dominated kingdom/nation. Significant populations of Magyars remained east in modern Romania, where there is still a significant Hungarian population today. A small population of Slavs were found in the Carpathian Basin, remnants of those that migrated south to the Balkan peninsula a few centuries earlier, who were either driven out, or assimilated into the Hungarians.
5. 1001 – Magyars/Hungarians convert to Christianity, which facilitates the establishment and building of the Kingdom of Hungary.
6. 1102 – The Kingdom of Hungary expands into modern Croatia and Bosnia, depositing significant populations of Hungarians into these regions, which would establish long-lasting roots.
7. 1256 – Hungary conquers Serbia, another region where Hungarians would permanently establish roots.
8. During the 13^th century, Hungarians would protect Transylvania from Mongol invasions, gaining control over the region, attracting a substantial Hungarian population in the region, which constitutes modern Romania. Today, there is still a substantial Hungarian population in central Romania.
9. The post-WWI Treaty of Trianon following Austria-Hungary's defeat reduced Hungary by about two-thirds, reducing Hungary to a multi-ethnic nation to a nearly homogenous nation. Before, Magyars/Hungarians represented about half the population of Hungary-ruled territory. After the territory reduction, Hungarians comprised about 90% of the pared down nation. This also left substantial Magyar/Hungarian populations outside of Hungary. To this day, Hungarians are the largest minority groups in Slovakia, Romania (to the point where Romania is concerned with a Kosovo-like succession) and Serbia, while also representing significant minority populations in Ukraine, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria.

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Development of Hungarian Language:
 

1. Originated with the Uralic Languages spoken by Uralic peoples (based in the Ural Mountain range in modern Russia).
2. Around 4000 BC, the Finno-Ugric language breaks off from Uralic, spoken by ancestors to modern Finns and Hungarians.
3. Ugric breaks off from Finno-Ugric around 3000 BC.
4. Around 1000 BC, right around time ancestors to Magyars splinter from Ugric peoples, migrating to southern end of Ural Mountains, Magyar language originates as a branch from Ugric, the basis for the modern Hungarian language.
5. As Magyars became vassals to Turkic peoples (Khazars) from the 5^th to 9^th centuries, the Magyar language was heavily influenced by Turkic (predecessor language to modern Turkish).
6. The Magyar/Hungarian language influenced by Latin after the Kingdom of Hungary was Christianized in 1001.

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Formation of Hungarian Borders:
 

1. 895 - Magyars, who originated in the Ural Mountain Range in modern Russia, migrated into the Carpathian Basin of modern Hungary, which would become a Magyar dominated Kingdom/nation. Significant populations of Magyars remained east in modern Romania, where there is still a significant Hungarian population today. A small population of Slavs were found in the Carpathian Basin were either driven out, or assimilated into the Hungarians.
2. 1001 – Magyars/Hungarians convert to Christianity, which facilitates the establishment and building of the Kingdom of Hungary, the earliest manifestation of the concept of a Hungarian nation. This proves conducive to consolidated rule instead of a network of affiliated tribes. Newly-consolidated Hungary began conquering lands in Transylvania (modern Romania).
3. 1004 – Hungary conquers Slovakia.
4. 1102 – The Kingdom of Hungary expanded into modern Croatia and Bosnia.
5. 1256 – Hungary conquered the northern portion of modern Serbia from the Bulgarian Empire. Hungary gives it away to independent Serbia as dowry in 1282.
6. During the 13^th century (1241/42), Hungarians would protect Transylvania from Mongol invasions, gaining control over the region, depositing a substantial Hungarian population in the region. Today, there is still a substantial Hungarian population in central Romania.
7. 1330 – Wallachia successfully rebels from Hungarian rule, seceding to form the independent Kingdom of Wallachia.
8. 1353 – Bosnia breaks away from Hungary, forming the Kingdom of Bosnia.
9. Moldavia (approximating modern Moldova) gains independence from Hungary in 1359.
10. Hungary gains Poland temporarily from 1370 – 85, before Poland breaks away to form its own independent kingdom.
11. 1521 – Hungary was conquered by the Muslim Ottoman Empire.
12. 1526 – Austria conquered Bohemia and the western portion of Hungary. This includes modern Slovakia, western Hungary, and western Croatia.
13. 1699 – Austria conquered all of Hungary from the Ottoman Turks, which also included Slovakia and Transylvania. Religious conflict ensued as Austria was staunchly Roman Catholic, while Hungary had largely become Protestant while under Ottoman control.
14. 1848 – Romanians in Transylvania revolted against Hapsburg Austria, driving Austria out.
15. 1867 – The Austria-Hungary Empire formed when Austria gave Hungary greater rights and autonomy, as a way to retain some level of control/benefit from Hungary in its own weakening condition. Hungarian nationalism had been on the rise since the Napoleonic Wars, leading to protests. This compromise pacified the Hungarians, resulting in a dual monarchy, where Hungarians were on equal footing with Austrians.
16. 1878 – Austria-Hungary submitted Bosnia and Herzegovina to occupation, taken from the Ottoman Empire, which would eventually help to start WWI, when a Bosnian Serb would assassinate the heir to the Austrian throne.
17. 1918 – Upon their defeat in WWI, the Allies insist on separating Austria and Hungary.
18. In aftermath of WWI, Hungary (being on the losing side), was forced into Treaty of Trianon in 1921, where Hungary ceded disputed lands to Romania, Czechoslovakia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, significantly diminishing Hungary, virtually setting the borders of modern Hungary.
19. 1938 and 1940 Vienna Awards, where Nazis unilaterally award some of the lands Hungary lost as part of the Trianon Treaty in order to attract Hungary to the Axis Powers. Temporarily, Hungary is enlarged to include parts of Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania (Northern Transylvania).
20. 1939 - Hungary conquered a portion of Czechoslovakia (part of Carpatho-Ukraine), which would be permanently ceded to Hungary in 1944.
21. 1944 – Hungary is conquered and occupied by the Soviets.
22. In the Treaty of Paris concluding WWII, all lands gained by Hungary during WWII returned to those nations from which they were conquered, with exception of Carpatho-Ukraine (from Czechoslovakia), which Hungary was permitted to keep, marking modern Hungarian boundaries.

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Etymology (How Name Received):

Hungary is based on the Turkic name for “Alliance of Ten Tribes” (on-ogur), given to them by Byzantines (Eastern Roman Empire), which mistook them for a Turkic tribe, when in reality the Magyars were merely allied with Turkic tribes. Magyar is the name that the Magyars referred to themselves as, from their own Magyar language.

Hungarian Culture:

Since the time that Magyars (predecessors to modern Hungarians) were migrating from Russia, ultimately finding a home in modern Hungary, they have managed to maintain a distinct culture and sense of nationalistic identity. Unlike many other nations in Central Europe, the Hungarian culture has never really been threatened with extinction, despite long stints under Ottoman Turk and Austrian rule. Even while under Soviet influence, Hungary was never under direct rule, and benefited from a fair amount of autonomy.

Hungary has a rich tradition of architecture, art, music and literature. Due to the fact that the Hungarian language is so differentiated from virtually all of the European languages (with only distant relations to the Finnish and Estonian languages), Hungarian music and literature has not gained notoriety beyond the Hungarian community.

Hungary in 2008:

Economy: Like other former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe, has made the transformation from centrally-planned economy to free-market economy. Last few years have brought troubling developments with increase in unemployment and tax rate, with decrease in consumer spending.
Government: Democratic Republic
Religion: Roman Catholic 52%, Other Christian 23%, None 25%. Survey: 44% believe in God, 31% in some other form of intelligent design, 19% atheist/agnostic.
Demographics: Hungarian 92%.
Foreign Policy: Joined NATO, efforts to collaborate with western governments to garner support against potential threats from Russia and even Germany, historically Hungary’s two most significant threats. Terrain characterized by plains and low hills makes Hungary difficult to defend by military might alone.
Population: 9,930,915 (2008)

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