Hungary: Two World Wars and One Failed Revolution

Hungary: Two World Wars and One Failed Revolution

Author: BBC Radio 4 July 3, 2025 Duration: 41:43

It's easy to forget how entwined Hungary has been in some of the worst events of the last 100 years – losers in the first world war, the country initially sided with the Nazis in the second, tried to change its mind, was invaded by the Germans then taken over by the Soviets, then tried to kick out the Soviets … and failed. What, asks Misha Glenny, are the consequences of this history now, and how does the Hungarian government of Viktor Orban view the Russians today. Recorded on location at the scenes of some of the fiercest fighting in 1956.

"The Hungarian revolution and the Prague spring 12 years later - these were events that had a huge impact on me, and I have to say gave me a romantic infection for Hungarians and their struggles which has never entirely left me."

With contributions from Adam LeBor, author of The Last Days of Budapest: Spies, Nazis, Rescuers and Resistance; plus Paul Lendvai, Tibor Fischer, Simon Winder nd Victor Sebestyen formerly of the FT and writer of Budapest: Between East and West.

The producer for BBC Studios Audio in Bristol is Miles Warde


We often take the world map for granted, but the lines that define nations are far from permanent. In How to Invent a Country, award-winning journalist Misha Glenny, presented by BBC Radio 4, digs into the fascinating and often turbulent processes that bring a nation into being. This isn't just a dry history lesson; it's an exploration of the powerful forces-political ambition, cultural narratives, and sheer accident-that draw borders and forge identities. Each episode takes you to a different corner of the globe, unpacking the specific moments when a place transformed from an idea or a territory into a country recognized by the world. You'll hear about the contested lands, the foundational myths, and the real people whose lives were shaped by these creations. This podcast reveals how the countries we know today were invented, showing that their stories are alive, contested, and continually being rewritten. Tune in for a compelling journey that changes how you see every line on the map.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Invention Of...
Podcast Episodes
Poland: Obliterated From the Map [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:56
Long before Putin tried it on, long before the Soviet Union as well, Ukraine was controlled by somebody else - the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the first of a new series, Misha Glenny and Miles Warde travel to…
Poland: Obliterated From the Map [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:56
Long before Putin tried it on, long before the Soviet Union as well, Ukraine was controlled by somebody else - the old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In the first of a new series, Misha Glenny and Miles Warde travel to…
The Birth of Bangladesh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:01
Not many people recall the Dominion of Pakistan. It was set up after the British left India in 1947, and there were two territories a thousand miles apart, East and West Pakistan. The only thing connecting them was relig…
Scandinavia: The Narcissism of Small Differences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:38
This is the story of how Norway threw off its patronising title of 'little brother' and emerged as the richest Scandinavian nation of all.In 1814 - just as Napoleon's rampage across Europe was drawing to a close - Sweden…
Scandinavia: The Narcissism of Small Differences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:38
This is the story of how Norway threw off its patronising title of 'little brother' and emerged as the richest Scandinavian nation of all.In 1814 - just as Napoleon's rampage across Europe was drawing to a close - Sweden…
Scandinavia: The Viking Inheritance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:00
The Swedes are very proud that they have not fought in a war since 1814, but they have not always been the knitwear pacifists they are today. Following a traumatic moment in their history - the Stockholm Bloodbath of 152…
Scandinavia: The Viking Inheritance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:00
The Swedes are very proud that they have not fought in a war since 1814, but they have not always been the knitwear pacifists they are today. Following a traumatic moment in their history - the Stockholm Bloodbath of 152…
Scandinavia: The Bridge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:56
In a brief September window, Misha Glenny and Miles Warde flew into Copenhagen to begin work on a new Invention of ... series. The plan - find out why Denmark, Sweden and Norway had responded to the pandemic in such diff…
Scandinavia: The Bridge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:56
In a brief September window, Misha Glenny and Miles Warde flew into Copenhagen to begin work on a new Invention of ... series. The plan - find out why Denmark, Sweden and Norway had responded to the pandemic in such diff…