Hungary and the USSR, 1956-1988: Kadar's Political Leadership, Vol. 227

Review
A very timely and comprehensive summary of events and developments in Hungarian-Russian relations. Hungarian-born Felkay focuses mainly on the role of Hungarian Communist party leader Janos Kadar, especially after the defeat of the 1956 Revolution. As a small East-Central European country whose non-European language is difficult to master, Hungary has aroused interest mostly on occasions of major domestic upheavals and crises. Most recently much attention has centered on Hungarian experimentation with capitalism, democratization, and liberalization of the Communist system. Most of the chapters concentrate on Kadar's consolidation of his power after the defeat of the Revolution in 1956, and on the successful restructuring of the economy. Brought to power by the Soviets in 1956, Kadar managed to become a popular leader in his own right while retaining Russian support for his policies. The slowing of the reforms, the worldwide price exposions, and the mounting political and economic problems led to Kadar's honorable retirement in 1988. For the first time since WW II, the changes in the top Hungarian leader occurred without direct Soviet interference. The author's extensive documentation is based on primary and secondary sources in Hungarian, Russian, and English. The book fills a gap in Western scholarship of the Kadar era. Notes, selected bibliography, and index are very helpful, essential for upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, faculty.Choice

Book Description
In this comprehensive analysis of Hungarian political and economic developments over the past 30 years, Felkay focuses on the role played by the country's long-tenured Communist leader Janos Kadar. Basing his study on a comprehensive critical analysis of the official Hungarian press, ideological journals, relevant documents, and other statistical reports from 1956 to the present, Felkay argues that Hungary's rapid recovery from the cataclysmic events of 1956 was the direct result of Kadar's ability to overcome the alienation of his compatriots without incurring the displeasure of the Soviet Union.


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In this comprehensive analysis of Hungarian political and economic developments over the past 30 years, Felkay focuses on the role played by the country's long-tenured Communist leader Janos Kadar. Basing his study on a comprehensive critical analysis of the official Hungarian press, ideological journals, relevant documents, and other statistical reports from 1956 to the present, Felkay argues that Hungary's rapid recovery from the cataclysmic events of 1956 was the direct result of Kadar's ability to overcome the alienation of his compatriots without incurring the displeasure of the Soviet Union.


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