Borvendég Zsuzsanna: Fabulous Spy Games. How international trade networks with the West developed after 1945 - A Magyarságkutató Intézet Kiadványai 24. (Budapest, 2021)
FINAL THOUGHTS – TRAPPED IN THE NETWORKS
FABULOUS SPY GAMES We have learned that the trade relations that laid the foundation for Hungary’s liaising role in the future were built in no time after World War Two. The question then arises how great a role the pre-existing networks played in this. The activities of members of Comintern known as the ‘Hungarian mafia and of the agents operating in Switzerland suggest that these connections probably did exert an influence, and I would even say that, having been pulled into the Soviet sphere of interest, Hungary was tasked with ensuring and managing the operation of communist networks in western countries. (This would seem a logical move from the Soviets, not only on account of Hungary’s geographical location, but also due to the large number of communist functionaries who scattered after the fall of the Hungarian Soviet Republic and were well acquainted with the various underground organisations around the world.) The chink in the Iron Curtain may have served not only to keep the global economy alive, but also to create an opportunity for other networks to extend. All this is merely a hypothesis, of course, but it may be proven or refuted by further research. Based on the correlations unveiled so far, however, this possibility can certainly not be ruled out. One conclusion of the network research is that international trade tends to have a pacifying effect.512 A predictable and safe political and diplomatic background is desirable for trade relations, since wartime conditions make economic cooperation difficult or even impossible. This, however, also works in reverse. An effectively functioning system of trade relationships can guarantee the welfare of a society, so tipping the status quo and engaging in hostility is not in the interests of economic partners. This theory complements the generally accepted proposition that the proliferation of nuclear weapons prevented the outbreak of a third world war: the surprisingly prolific system of trade networks also seems to have helped preserve the power balance after 1945. Based on this idea, it is safe to say that Hungary’s role during the Cold War was not relegated to serving merely as a way of ensuring the operation of the global economy, instead, the country also contributed to the implementation 512 Dorussen - Ward, 2010. 188
