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>>/47164/ In the first five centuries of Hungarian statehood, Hungary was a power equal to the strongest feudal kingdoms of Europe. This is why it meant much for the Habsburgs when they acquired it, even in the beginning that particular Habsburg wasn't emperor of the HRE, just king of Hungary, and then fate(?) arranged that the two become the same. Meanwhile however came the Ottomans from the south, through the Balkans, and managed to conquer the third of the country, and made vassal from another third of it (Transylvania). So the country became marginalized, and a subordinate for the HR emperor. Indeed it became more of a liability, a constant warzone instead of a reliable power base. For the wars, the dividedness, and the feudal stagnation Hungary was left behind by those powers who made themselves rich during the colonization period. Slowly the rest of the country was regained from the Ottomans, and in the 19th century even modernization started. There were always struggles with the Habsburgs to get the country out under the thumb of the imperial court, and make it stand on its feet as a kingdom on own right. These can be considered struggles of centralization vs. decentralization, and independence movements too. The war of independence in 1848-49, and later the circumstances in foreign and domestic politics forced the Habsburgs to acknowledge Hungary as an equal partner in their state, this is how Austro-Hungarian Empire was born. Some economical progress and modernization happened, but the construct fell apart at the end of WWI. We found ourselves alone. The kingdom itself was torn apart, not just the Habsburg state. The Habsburg monarchs were dethroned too, the ties were severed, we became independent. But turbulent times came ahead, and independence became precarious. The Germans extended their influence over the whole region, the facts that the Anglo-Saxons were too far, Italy was actually weak, and everyone shat their pants from the Soviet Union, helped them a lot. So we marched into war on the German side and lost. We became a vassal of the Soviet Union, until it crumbled. Our people were told that we have to join the EU because there is no life outside of it, so we turned back to lick the German bottom once again. This is the short history of Hungarian independence. But I want to note a couple of things. Post's theme song: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Iz-fVn2GVuQ https://invidious.snopyta.org/watch?v=Iz-fVn2GVuQ Picrels are some monuments erected to honor Hungarian independence.