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== The Fall of Communism ==
== The Fall of Communism ==
Nagy was replaced as leader by János Kádár (1912-1989) who instituted 'Goulash Communism': strict political control coupled with more liberal economic and cultural policies. In the short term this led to improved living standards for the Hungarian people: in material terms they, and the East Germans, were the most prosperous nations in the eastern bloc. It also created a readiness to take advantage of the relaxations of ''[[glasnost]]'' and ''[[perestroika]]'' being advocated in the 1980s Soviet Union. In 1989 the Hungarian government opened its border with Austria. This led to a flood of refugees from [[East Germany]] and thus ultimately to the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]], the reunification of [[Germany]], and the domino-like collapse of Communist regimes across the Soviet bloc. Democratic elections were first held in 1990; Hungary joined [[NATO]] in 1999 and the [[European Union]] on May 1, 2004.
Nagy was replaced as leader by János Kádár (1912-1989) who instituted 'Goulash Communism': strict political control coupled with more liberal economic and cultural policies. In the short term this led to improved living standards for the Hungarian people: in material terms they, and the East Germans, were the most prosperous nations in the eastern bloc. It also created a readiness to take advantage of the relaxations of ''[[glasnost]]'' and ''[[perestroika]]'' being advocated in the 1980s Soviet Union. In 1989 the Hungarian government opened its border with Austria. This led to a flood of refugees from [[East Germany]] and thus ultimately to the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]], the reunification of [[Germany]], and the domino-like collapse of Communist regimes across the Soviet bloc. Democratic elections were first held in 1990.
Hungary joined [[NATO]] in 1999 and the [[European Union]] in 2004. It has been hard-hit by the world-wide [[Recession of 2008]].
==Further reading==
* Frucht, Richard. ''Encyclopedia of Eastern Europe: From the Congress of Vienna to the Fall of Communism'' (2000) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=106917725 online edition]
* Hoensch, Jörg K., and Kim Traynor. ''A History of Modern Hungary, 1867-1994'' (1996) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=27024260 online edition]
* Hanak, Peter et al. ''A History of Hungary'' (1994)
* Kontler, Laszlo. ''A History of Hungary'' (2006) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Hungary-Laszlo-Kontler/dp/1403903174/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240128084&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Molnár, Miklós, and Anna Magyar. ''A Concise History of Hungary'' (2001) [http://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Hungary-Cambridge-Histories/dp/0521667364/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240128084&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
====references====
<references/>
[[category:European History]]
[[category:European History]]
[[category:Medieval History]]
[[category:Medieval History]]
[[category:Central Europe]]
[[category:Central Europe]]