Claim:
Other (especially western) countries betrayed us at the time of our freedom fights
Rebuttal:
Hungarians’ struggles for freedom and independence were always connected to western wars and movements and did get support from abroad even if usually not enough.
Even the Hungarian nobles’ revolts wouldn’t have broken out without collaboration with actors abroad: Gábor Bethlen and György Rákóczi I enjoyed the support of the protestant north European countries during the 30-years war, Rákóczi Ferenc II entered the Spanish War of Succession on behalf of the French, while Bocskai and Thököly went as far as fighting on the side of the Turks. True, external help was never enough – but it did exist. Among the important prerequisits of the Hungarian revolution of 1848 we find the revolutions in Paris and the two in Vienna (in March and October). Morevover the October revolution in Vienna broke out specifically to support the Hungarians, which is a rare case in the history of revolutions. It was not them who let us down but the other way around: the Hungarian army was idly waiting at the border while General Windisch-Grätz took revolutionary Vienna. In the Hungarian revolutionary army there were Poles, Germans, Italians fighting alongside Hungarians, even in commanding positions, and we also find foreigners among the 13 martyrs demonstratively executed by the Habsburgs. (Just as we find Hungarians fighting on the side of the enemy: Ödön Zichy and Ferenc Lamberg are well known, and the pro-Habsburg side even had its ownHungarian-language press, with its own audience.) Yes, we could have been given more foreign assistance – but it’s not true that we didn’t get any.
When it comes to the 1956 uprising, it’s unimaginable without the behaviour of the west in the cold war and Austrian state treaty of 1955. True, the United States, which Hungary unilaterally and without any good reason declared war on in 1944 didn’t want to risk a nuclear war over our freedom – which is to say the consequences would have been unfathomable and it would have served nobo’y’s interests, not even that of Hungarians. It is not true that the US promised military assistance: during the heady days of the revolution American leaders would only talk abouttheir compassion and providing economic help once independence is gained. Western countries, however, halped tens of thousands of those emigrating from Hungary, providing them free education and shelter – most notably Austria. Yes, the west could have done even more for Hungary – but it’s not true that we got nothing but empty promises. (More about the topic: Cserbenhagyta a Nyugat Magyarországot 1956-ban?).
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