After the ravages of World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, Budapest was engulfed by revolution and marauding foreign armies in
1919. Factory workers, disillusioned ex-soldiers, landless peasants,
artists, and intellectuals began forming grassroots councils to get the
country back on its feet. This groundswell produced a unique cross-class
alliance in pursuit of social justice, constitutionalism, and sustainable
economic development, which quickly led to the formation of the Hungarian
Republic of Councils. After only four months, however, this radically new
experiment in self-government ended in tragedy and virtually all of the
Republic”s leadership were executed. Over time, the revolution has not only
been smeared by the Hungarian right wing but also misunderstood and largely
forgotten by the rest of the world. This volume will set the historical
record straight on the heroic but tragic events of 1919, paying tribute to
the people who gave their lives to a tenacious and courageous idea. These
essays bring together internationally respected scholars from Europe and
North America, including Péter Csunderlik, Raquel Varela, Kari Polanyi
Levitt, Magda Aranyossi, Lajos Csoma, Susan Zimmermann, Christopher Adam,
András B. Göllner, Marie-Josée Lavallée, and Dimitrios Roussopoulos.