Papers and Documents relating to the Foreign Relations of Hungary, Volume 1, 1919–1920 (Budapest, 1939)

Appendix III. Parliamentary debates

955 become conscious of the axioms by which alone life's problems may be solved. It must be recognized that life cannot be managed by abstract doctrines and principles. (Cheers.) The character of modern historiography has shifted from positivism and aestheticism toward functional historiography. The consequence of this functional approach to history, prevalent in the works of all modern historians, is that in the history of mankind, simple formulae are useless ; occasionally this is openly admitted. World problems, created by the interplay and synthesis of hundreds of factors, and determining the future of whole nations, cannot be solved by resort to simple patterns. It is strange that in this era of history, politicians who want to guide not only states but the whole world are far from this conception, — they even misconstrue or do not take notice of it under the war-psychosis. The basic errors of the entire peace structure lie in just this attitude. They built the peace on the foundation of the nationality principle. Now this is incorrect from every angle because, while nationality and national individuality play an important rôle in the life of every people, national individuality itself is a conglomeration of different elements. Here again they committed the mistake of determining nationality by the single criterion of language. They have applied linguistic similarity, nay the science of philology, exclusively in determining the close affinity of peoples who may be related by the origin of their tongues, yet stand widely apart in every aspect of their basic interests, in their history and in all the other relations which compose life. Lack of realization of this is what I would call war psychosis in the higher sense, in the sphere of the leading politicians. Perhaps a certain reassurance may be gained from the thought that these are but symptoms of the war mentality; a certain calmness may be derived if we consider the entirely different attitude and opposite views of statesmen, scientists, historians and philosophers of the very nations whose politicians have committed these serious errors. I should like to refer to but a few of them. I wish to refer again, as in my last address, to the statement of Lavisse, the great French historian, regarding Brandenburg, namely, that it is impossible to create a state between prairie-frontiers. I would like to point to the declaration of Elysée Reclus regarding the historic rôle assigned to the Hungarians in South-eastern Europe, partly because of the country's geographical position and partly because of the moral strength and character of the Hungarian people. I would also