Description

The lecture will provide an overview of Hungarian policies directed at leaving the Axis camp during the Second World War. After an introductory part on the general political and military situation of the country, the lecture will concentrate on the main goals of the Hungarian government in 1943 and the efficiency of various peace-feelers in the neutral capitals of Europe, primarily Bern Stockholm and Turkey, showing events from the perspective of the Hungarian side. The lecture will place Hungary into the general context of allies’ aims and war efforts, with a special focus on the geopolitical significance of Southeast Europe in the war. The lecture will draw the attention of the audience to the significance of secret peace-talks with the allied side while giving an insight into the related intelligence maneuvers and their impact on Hungary shortly before the German occupation.

András Joó (VERITAS Institute, Budapest) obtained his doctoral degree at the University of Economics and Public Administration (now known as Corvinus University, Budapest) in 2001. His main area of research is the 20th century diplomatic history with a special focus on World War II. Dr. Joo is the author of a monograph on Hungarian foreign policy during World War II (Kállay Miklós külpolitikája: Magyarország és a háborús diplomácia 1942-1944. The Foreign Policy of Miklós Kállay: Hungary and Wartime Diplomacy 1942-1944. Napvilág Kiadó, Budapest, 2008). Dr. Joo joined the VERITAS Research Institute in 2015, where he has continued his research on the history of Hungary during World War II collecting and editing sources that have survived in the private hands yet not been discovered by the general public. He regularly publishes the results of his research in Hungarian.