Early Medieval Hungary: Between East and West

Abstract

Hungarians possess a strong sense of national identity, marked by an emphasis on distinctiveness that, to some extent, stems from their Asian origins. This sense of uniqueness and strong self-identification has been evident since the Middle Ages. Upon arriving in Europe, the Hungarian tribes encountered a new and unfamiliar reality that they had to confront and eventually accept. Since that time two parallel trends have characterized Hungarian political, social and economic thought stemming from interactions with both Eastern and Western civilizations.
These dual influences have also shaped Hungarian culture and political ideology: a persistent tension between a return to tradition and a drive toward modernization. These opposing tendencies have consistently vied for dominance throughout Hungarian history. Naturally, there have
been periods where traditionalist views prevailed and others marked by progressive reform. However, the most fruitful epochs in Hungary’s development have been those in which tradition and modernity were successfully reconciled, where elements of the past were used creatively
to construct a modern identity. For centuries, Hungary’s geographic location, situated between East and West, has played a crucial role in shaping its history and culture. This was accompanied by an enduring aspiration to align with the West. The presented article is devoted to the study of the evolution of Hungarian identity and history over many
centuries. The author analyzes various historical periods during which Hungarians turned to their origins connected with the regions around the Urals, and how this dual perception between the West and the East is reflected in their culture. This conflict of identities was particularly
evident in the 19th and 20th centuries, when Hungarian nationalism reached its peak. During periods of crisis in relations with the West, most notably following the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, there was a marked tendency to distance from Western values and seek alignment with Turkic and Asian peoples. This shift provided fertile ground for the emergence and development of the Turanist ideology.