Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1975 (3. évfolyam, 6-8. szám)
1975 / 8. szám
DISSERTATIONS Berlin, Jon Dale, (U. of Wisconsin, 1974) “The Burgenland Question, 1918-1920: from the Collapse of Austria-Hungary to the Treaty of Trianon.” 422 pages. Xerox and microfilm order no. 74-16,192.* This study examines the transfer of Burgenland from Hungary to Austria after World War I. It discusses events from late 1918 to June 1920. The seven chapters cover a brief introduction of the period before 1918; events from the collapse of the Habsburg Empire to the fall of the Karolyi Government in March 1919; the Burgenland under the Hungarian Soviet Republic (March-August 1919); proposal of a “corridor” connecting Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia; the Paris Peace Conference and the transfer of the region (January-September 1919); the period following thecollapse of the communist government in Hungary (August- December 1919); and the attempts made by Hungary at the peace conference to obtain a revision of the transfer (January-June 1920). The bitterness of the conflict, created in part by the region’s Hungarian past and its large German ethnic component, was compounded by behind-the-scene political and economic rivalries of the Great Powers and the Successor States in the Danubian basin. Focusing primarily on diplomatic aspects, the study was based mainly on archival holdings in Eisenstadt, London, Paris, Vienna, and Washington, as well as on private collections. Because the writer was not granted access to the Hungarian archives, only published Hungarian primary sources were used. The study reveals several previously unknown aspects of the Burgenland question, like the role played by the U.S. in the transfer of the territory to Austria; the economic factors influencing the local population; and the general uncertainty which persisted in the region after the peace treaty has been signed. Hare, Paul G. (U. of Stirling, 1973) “Hungarian Planning Models Based on Input-Output.” For copies write to the author: Dept, of Economics, U. of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA Scotland. This is a study of planning models developed and applied in Hungary over the period which covers the preparation forthe third five year plan (1966-1970), its implementation and the preparations for the fourth five year plan (1971-1975). The New Economic Mechanism introduced in 1968 constituted a major reform allowing enterprises more independence to formulate their own plans in the light of market conditions, subject only to a series of centrally determined regulators such as wage controls, credit regulations, rules for distribution of profits into reserve, distribution and development funds. Interestingly, the NEM seems to have led to a higher centralization of the planning process. There seems to be now less consultation with enterprises than before and the planners rely more on data compiled and aggregated by the statistical office. Hare investigates medium and long-rangeplanning models and the communication process which is involved in the (*) The abstract is based on one published in Dissertation Abstracts International microfilm and xerox copies of the original full dissertation may be obtained from Xerox University Microfilm, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106. When ordering, use the number shown above. formulation of a plan. He also presents a critical analysis of medium-term planning models and concludes that the models are restricted to considering relatively minor deviations from a basic plan outlined in advance. This still leaves the models an important role in the planning process, since they are able to check consistency, and compute a number of variants within a given framework of assumptions much more efficiently than the traditional methods alone could do. Consequently, one can expect to see further developments and improvements in the Hungarian planning models. Batkay, William Michael. (Columbia U., 1972) “The Origin and Role of the Unified Party in Hungary, 1919-1926.” 279 pages. Xerox and microfilm order no. 75-9315.* On April 14, 1921, Count István Bethlen became Prime Minister of Hungary. One of his important accomplishments was the creation, in 1922, of a single government party - the Unified Party - out of the coalition of parties and factions which had ruled Hungary since 1919. This dissertation describes the circumstances leading to the formation of this party and analyzes the party’s role in the political system during the years 1922-1926, the crucial “consolidation period” of the Bethlen regime. The main purpose of the dissertation, however, is to analyze the role of the party in the political system more systematically than has been done before. It applies Almond and Powell’s structural-functionalism as a conceptual framework and heuristic tool. It follows Huntington’s lead and examines the extent to which the dominant Unified Party monopolized three key functions: legitimation of the political system, political recruitment, and interest aggregation. The role of the party was found to be diffuse, and the party’s importance independent of the specific functions it performed. The dissertation challenges earlier views of the role of the Unified Party held by Macartney and Marxist writers. The party did not control, let alone monopolize the key functions suggested by Huntington. Its importance was found to lie in the diffuse roles it performed, in particular the integration of the political elite on the basis of gentry values, facilitated by its loose structure and diffuse ideology. Arkwright, Thomas D. (McGill U. , Canada). 1974. “The Phonology of the Hungarian Consonant System.” To obtain a microfiche copy please order directly from the National Library of Canada at Ottawa. A detailed formal study of the context-sensitivity of Hungarian consonants is presented and documented. An explicit functional model is developed and expressed in terms of phonological rules. The integrity of this model and an awareness of its limitations have been guaranteed by testing the model on a machine. A three-chapter overview of lexical and morphological structure is followed by four chapters which discuss the model in question. A final chapter introduces an original statistical approach to the study of optional phonological rules. Some highlights which might be of particular interest include: a rejection on the epistemological basis for the concept of vacuous rule application; generalizations which result from consistent recognition of boundaries; a comprehensive solution to the problem of /h/' and discussions of historical phenomena, notably the numerical 'egy' morpheme, laryngeals, final /j/devoicing, and voice assimilation. 8 NO. 8 1975 HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER
