Ágnes Tamás

Verlust von Territorien und Identitätswandel?

Introduction

Verlust von territorien und identitätswandel? . Analyse ungarischer Nachkriegs-Karikaturen. Entdecken Sie, wie Gebietsverluste (Trianon) und Identitätswandel in der Propaganda dargestellt wurden. Ein Blick auf Trauma und Widerstand.

Abstract

This paper aims to present an analysis of caricatures published in Hungarian comic papers (Mátyás Diák and Borsszem Jankó) after the First World War showing the motifs of military operations and the symbols of territorial losses. The author intends to demonstrate how the caricaturists represented the North Hungarian campaign (1919) and the rebellion in West Hungary (1921). In the second part of the paper the author presents the symbols of territorial losses in caricatures (e.g. amputation, doctor-patient situations, maps, “eating” of territories). The results of the examination reveal that contemporary Hungarian propaganda presented the Peace Treaty of Trianon as a deep trauma, and according to the caricatures the rejection of the peace treaty would be part of the Hungarian identity between the two world wars.

Review

This paper presents a compelling analysis of post-First World War Hungarian political caricatures, focusing on their depiction of military operations and territorial losses. Drawing from *Mátyás Diák* and *Borsszem Jankó*, the author intends to explore how caricaturists represented key historical events such as the North Hungarian campaign (1919) and the rebellion in West Hungary (1921). The central aim, to demonstrate the visual articulation of national trauma and identity transformation, positions this work as a valuable contribution to the study of interwar Hungarian history and the complex interplay between media and national consciousness. A particular strength of the proposed study lies in its detailed approach to visual semiotics, identifying specific recurring symbols of territorial loss, including amputation, doctor-patient situations, maps, and the 'eating' of territories. This granular examination promises to reveal the nuanced ways in which national suffering and grievances were communicated to a public audience. The abstract's stated findings—that contemporary Hungarian propaganda framed the Peace Treaty of Trianon as a profound trauma, and that its rejection subsequently became a cornerstone of Hungarian identity between the two world wars—are highly significant and resonate deeply with broader scholarly discussions on national memory, propaganda, and the formation of collective identity in periods of crisis. This research offers valuable insights into the construction of national narratives through visual culture during a period of immense geopolitical upheaval. The focus on primary visual sources provides a unique lens through which to understand the psychological and political impact of Trianon. A full paper would undoubtedly benefit from further contextualization regarding the specific readership and political alignment of the comic papers, and perhaps a brief comparative discussion of how similar themes of territorial loss and national trauma were visually represented in other Central European nations during the same period. Nevertheless, this paper promises to significantly enrich our understanding of interwar Hungarian identity and the enduring legacy of post-war peace settlements.

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