Бенямин Калай - апологет на австро-унгарския хегемонизъм
Benjamin Kallai – Apologist of Austro-Hungarian Hegemonism

Summary/Abstract: The active eastern policy of the Danubian Empire during the last quarter of the 19th century definitely demanded the emergence of strong personalities in diplomacy and the state administration. Among the eminent Hungarian diplomats and statesmen B. Kallai’s name is a symbol of the Hungarian presence of the system of dualism. His personality considerably influenced the formation and realization of the plans of Ballplatz for the European Southeast. Kallai was also a champion of dualism which later influenced his socio-political views. A result of that was also his work as minister, governor and member of the Senate in the Hungarian Parliament. Together with Count Andrassy Kallai took part in the drafting of numerous documents defining the character of the Balkan policy of the Monarchy. Until the end of his life and his career he strove for raising Austria-Hungary to the rank of a Great Power in Europe. His view on the place and importance of the Empire was defined by the expression “Imperial Supremacy – A Guarantee of Greatness”. With Kallai’s name are associated the most difficult moments for imperial diplomacy: the Eastern Crises of 1875–1878, the Unification crises in Bulgaria 1885-1887 and the Second Eastern Crisis 1890–1897. His documentary legacy deals with all questions connected with these periods and at the same time it is a proof of the importance of diplomacy as a means of imposing a presence in a geopolitical region like the Balkan Peninsula. Unlike his contemporaries Kallai did not suffer from unnecessary prejudices. He was explicit when it was the question of the interests of Austria-Hungary. An example of that was his participation in the International Conference in Plovdiv in 1878–1879 at which he actively contributed to the programming of the imperial interests in Eastern Roumelia. Indubitably an outstanding politician and diplomat, he made his contributions also to European diplomacy bearing in mind that then the Danubian Empire was rightly regarded as a Great Power.

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