Az 1949-es választások amerikai szemmel
The 1949 Elections through American Eyes: Diplomatic Field Reports from the Hungarian Countryside

Summary/Abstract: The digitized archives of the Embassy of the United States of America in Hungary (Archives Unbound) provides interesting details about the western perceptions of the post-1945 history of Hungarian politics, society, and economy. Several field reports written about the 1949 election have been preserved, which show what kind of information was available for the American embassy staff, and how it was selected and interpreted. The texts give an insight into the perceptions of the general public about the workings of power and politics in the country – from an American perspective. American diplomats, officials and their translators travelling along the main itineraries (Győr, Miskolc, Debrecen, Szeged, Balaton and environs) formed their narratives about the events through formal and informal exchanges. Especially interesting are the differences between the controlled official information and the spontaneous (at least seemingly so) interactions, as well as the diversity of the utterances and communication strategies among the Hungarian interview subjects.

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