The Evolution of Agricultural Policies in Hungary, 1919-1956: A Study in Collectivisation

The work is an attempt to survey and analyse, in a historical context, the evolution of the Communist Party's policy, strategies and tactics with regard to agriculture in Hungary. It covers a period from 1919 - as Hungary emerged from the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the collapse of the short-lived Soviet Republic under Bela Kun - through the considerable political changes after the Second World War - especially when, in 1948, the communists took power and Hungary became a People's Democracy and its agricultural development began to follow the Soviet model closely - to the popular Uprising in 1956. Despite the great changes that had taken place after both the First and Second World Wars the element of continuity was an important factor. One of the main purposes of the study is to trace the interplay of political and economic forces with particular reference to the fortunes of agriculture in Hungary over this period