🎙️ Hungarian History Podcast – Special 1956 Series: Episode 22 🎙️

Welcome back to the Hungarian History Podcast. I’m your host, Szántai Gábor.

Between the symbolic dates of October 23rd and November 11th, we continue our special series dedicated to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight — and the nearly 200,000 Hungarians who left their homeland in its aftermath.

They carried with them stories of courage, loss, and hope. Stories that built new lives across the free world.

Today, in Episode 22, you will hear from three guest speakers from the United States — voices that form part of the living symphony of 1956. Through their memories, we gain an intimate look into the journeys that shaped generations.

I ask each guest three simple but powerful questions:

• Who are they and where are they from?
• What is their story?
• How did that journey change their lives?

Their answers are more than memories — they are history.

These stories are still coming in — and this series will continue. If you or someone you know has a story to share from after the Revolution, please send me a message.

Thank you for helping us preserve these voices.

Support this project:

https://www.hungarianottomanwars.com/hungarian-history-podcast-voices-of-56-part-2/

The 1956 Hungarian Revolution wasn’t just 19 days. It was the beginning of 200,000 journeys. This is the series dedicated to those journeys.

I am proud to announce that Episode 21 of the Hungarian History Podcast is out now, launching a special sub-series preserving the personal stories of the 1956 exodus.

In this first episode, I am honored to have Batizy Levente, author of "The Biggest Hole in the Iron Curtain: The Batizy Story", a remarkable account of his family's escape.

We discuss his story, the legacy of that journey, and its significance today.

Learn more about his book on Amazon: 

https://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Hole-Iron-Curtain-Batizy/dp/1478756942

This is just the beginning. The door is open, and more voices will follow to ensure these stories are never forgotten.

Your story is our history. If you or your family have a story to share, please don't hesitate to message me.

Who are the Székelys? Are they the descendants of Attila the Hun? A unique warrior class? The ancient guardians of Hungary's borders?

In our special 20th episode, we delve into the epic history of the Székely people—the easternmost Hungarian group. This one is about the Székelys—my wife's people. 

A community with a story of resilience, from medieval warriors carving runes on wood to modern-day bonfires lit for autonomy on the last Sunday of October..

I discuss their fierce love of freedom and why their struggle for rights remains as relevant today as it was in the 16th century.

Tune in for a journey to Székelyföld, a land of fortified churches, legendary battles, and unbroken tradition. If you love tales of identity, courage, and deep history, this is for you.

Did the Kingdom of Hungary vanish after 1526?And was the Transylvanian Principality just a mere vassal state of the Ottomans?

You’ve heard it countless times: after the Battle of Mohács, Hungary disappeared. I have heard this narrative from many Romanians that Hungary was wiped off the map, swallowed by empires, and only “reappeared” centuries later.
But that’s not what really happened.

“The Hungarian Kingdom vanished into the blue” — this is a provocative modern nationalist narrative, spread by those who want to marginalize Hungary’s historical role and deny its sacrifice in defending Western civilization, for which it paid a bloody price. It’s time to pose a Hungarian narrative to challenge these intentionally fabricated misconceptions.

In this episode, we uncover what really happened after 1526 — how the Kingdom of Hungary survived as a sovereign state, ruled by its own crown, laws, and diet, in personal union with the Habsburgs.
Royal Hungary, Transylvania, and Croatia each carried forward parts of that sovereignty, keeping the kingdom alive. In this episode, I also compared the Transylvanian Principality’s status with that of Wallachia and Moldavia.

We also examine the Croatian argument, which has a genuine historical and legal foundation — and how both sides utilized law, diplomacy, and power to defend their claims under extremely challenging circumstances.

This is not a story of disappearance.
It’s a story of continuity — of a kingdom divided but alive, sovereign even under the weight of empires.

What really happened during the legendary 39-day siege of Eger Castle? You may know Gárdonyi Géza’s classic novel The Stars of Eger (or also called „The Fall of The Crescent Moon”)—but have you ever heard the story from the Ottoman perspective?

In this dramatic episode of the Hungarian History Podcast, we step into the tents of Pasha Hádim Ali and Serdar Kara Achmed as they lead nearly 45,000 Ottoman troops against Dobó István and his defiant garrison.

Through cannon fire, secret tunnels, betrayal, and explosive gunpowder plots, experience one of Hungary’s most heroic stands like never before.

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History and Power: Can the Past Ever Be Objective?

Today I have a very special guest: Dr. Péter Illik, one of the leading experts on early modern Hungarian history. He is the author of more than 15 books and 200 scholarly articles, many of which have reshaped our understanding of the 16th century, the Ottoman–Habsburg conflicts, and even the international reception of the Treaty of Trianon.

🔎 In this episode, we explore:

1. Can there really be such a thing as “objective history,” or is every account shaped by politics and culture?
2. How do the perspectives of 16th-century chroniclers like Szerémi György compare with 20th-century historians like Nemeskürty István?
3. Why is Hungarian historical discourse still divided today between a “Habsburg-friendly” and a “Habsburg-critical” narrative?

This is a powerful conversation about how history is written — and how it continues to shape the way we think about the past and the present.

The Hungarian History Podcast is still the only English-language podcast dedicated entirely to Hungarian history. Since launching this show in April 2025, it has already reached more listeners than the Central European University’s “Vienna” podcast did in its entire first year, at least based on the publicly available information.

Thank you for your interest and support! If you enjoy my work, please share it with your friends and consider supporting it — I don’t have billionaires backing me, only listeners like you.

👉 Listen now, and share it with your friends so more people can discover Hungary’s fascinating history!

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Join me on Patreon to help sustain this work:

https://www.patreon.com/hungarianottomanwars

Make a One-Time Donation: Support me occasionally on Buy Me a Coffee:

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/duhoxoxa

The Hungarian History Podcast returns with one of the bloodiest battles of the 1552 campaign.
Only weeks after the fall of Drégely, the Ottomans pushed north – and at Palást, they met the Christian armies of General Teuffel.

German mercenaries, Italian soldiers of fortune, and Hungarian hussars clashed with Janissaries, Sipahis, and Ottoman cannons.
It was a disaster for the Christians – yet men like Thury György still kept the flame of resistance alive.

🎧 Listen now and step onto the battlefield.

Please, subscribe to Substack or Patreon to support this project, or on the Buy me a coffee page, here are the links:

https://www.hungarianottomanwars.com/hungarian-history-podcast-16-the-battle-of-palast-1552/

The Hungarian History Podcast continues with the dramatic Siege of Drégely (1552) — the heroic last stand of Captain György Szondi and his men against overwhelming Ottoman forces.

The year is 1552. A small, crumbling fortress in the Börzsöny Hills stands as the last barrier between the Ottoman war machine and the heart of Europe. Inside, Captain Szondy György and his 146 men prepare to face an army of 12,000 Ottomans.

Their story is one of impossible odds, unwavering honor, and a sacrifice that shook even their enemy. It is a creation of a legend that has inspired Hungarians for centuries.

🌍 The Hungarian History Podcast is still the only English voice dedicated entirely to the rich and dramatic history of Hungary — making our past accessible to the world.

👉 Listen, subscribe, and share to help spread Hungarian history beyond our borders.
🙏 If you find value in my work, please consider supporting the project with a contribution or subscription — every bit helps me continue bringing these stories to life.

Substack: https://shorturl.at/nsFZ2

Outnumbered, undersupplied, and betrayed by allies, Captain Losonczy István and his men faced the unstoppable Ottoman war machine in one of the most dramatic sieges of the 16th century. This is a story of defiance, betrayal, and a final stand that still echoes through history.

🎙️ It is still the only English podcast focusing entirely on Hungarian history.
If you care about Hungary’s past and want these stories to reach the world, give it a listen, share it, and help keep the project alive.

Support this project on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/hungarianottomanwarsor on Buy me a Coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/duhoxoxa or on Substack:https://shorturl.at/nsFZ2

Thank you / Köszönöm.

🔥 Intrigue, Betrayal, and the Shadow of Siege 🔥

Transylvania, 1551.
An uneasy alliance shatters.
The White Monk — Martinuzzi György, cardinal, statesman, and master of intrigue — meets his fate in one of the most infamous political assassinations in Hungarian history.
As the Ottomans and Habsburgs circle like vultures, the frontiers of Hungary erupt into fire.

🎙 In the latest episode of the Hungarian History Podcast, we trace the deadly chain of events from palace intrigue to the launch of the great Ottoman campaign of 1552.

You’ll hear how this campaign set the stage for the fall of Veszprém, the heroic stand at Drégely, and the defense of Eger — sieges that will each be told in full detail in future episodes.This is the outline before the storm… and next time, we march to the siege of Temesvár Castle.

📜 Listen now — history has never sounded this vivid.

Support this project with a cup of coffee if you can:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/duhoxoxa or follow me on Patreon to spread Hungarian history: https://www.patreon.com/hungarianottomanwars