Activity 1

Hungarian irredentist propaganda after the Treaty of Trianon.

Basic didactic information

Timing

Learning Dynamics

Development of the Activity

Questioning & Reflections

Links to Materials

Basic didactic information

What happened in Hungary after the Treaty of Trianon?

After the First World War, the Treaty of Trianon (1920) forced Hungary to cede two-thirds of its territory and population to neighboring states. The shock of this loss generated a powerful irredentist movement. The regime and civic organizations produced an abundance of propaganda posters to keep alive resentment and nurture the hope of “resurrection.”

Propaganda of journalistic information:

Trianon propaganda is a deliberate, politically motivated information activity that emphasizes the negative consequences of the Treaty of Trianon (1920), the perceived “injustice,” and national grievances. The aim of this propaganda is to manipulate public opinion, support revisionism (the effort to change the peace treaty), and strengthen Hungarian national identity by exploiting the resentment felt against the Treaty of Trianon.

Characteristics of Trianon propaganda:

● Criticism of the Treaty of Trianon: Presents the treaty through prejudice and exaggerated emotions, using the concepts of absolute “injustice” and “crime.”

● Emphasis on national grievances: Highlights the loss of historical Hungary (Greater Hungary), which was far larger than present-day Hungary, and which lost about two-thirds of its territory.

● Strengthening Hungarian national identity: Successfully identifies Hungarians as the victims of the Trianon settlement, embedding this sentiment deeply in the national consciousness.

● Support for revisionist politics: Promotes political movements that seek the revision of the treaty, i.e., a return to the pre-Trianon borders.

Effects of Trianon propaganda:

● Direct political impact: One of the main driving forces behind revisionist efforts between the two World Wars, and it still influences Hungarian political discourse today.

● Shaping national consciousness: The relationship between the Treaty of Trianon and Hungarian identity was largely shaped by propaganda, embedding the trauma of Trianon into national consciousness.

● Damaging bilateral relations: Trianon propaganda often portrayed neighboring countries in a hostile light, as they were perceived to have unjustly gained territories at Hungary’s expense through the Treaty of Trianon.

Timing

5 hours

Introductory phase (45 minutes); development phase (135 minutes); Closing phase (45 minutes)

Learning Dynamics

The activity to be carried out is structured in three phases: introduction, development and closure. Below is the task to be carried out in each of them.

INTRODUCTION.

Materials: videos, posters and contemporary article extracts

1. Whole class activity: video viewing and discussion

2. We will divide the class into 5 working groups.

3. Each group has to analyze two or three posters (irredentist and revisionist)

Answer the following questions:

a. Describe what you see in each of the posters.

b. What emotions are being targeted?

c. Who is the supposed “enemy” in these images?

d. What “truth” is suggested?

Development of the Activity

The case of Hungarian revisionist propaganda.

Reading and viewing of sources:

Source 1: Irredentist placard, Trianon Museum (1920s)

Translation of the inscription: "You have taken our rivers, you have taken our mountains, is this (i.e. the crushed crown) to become the coat-of-arms of Hungary?"

Source 2. Poster with “I believe in one God, one homeland” (late 1930s)

Translation of the inscription: "I believe in one god, I believe in one homeland, I believe in the eternal divine justice, I believe in the resurrection of Hungary"