Magyars: 9th – 10th century AD

The reduce Danube, prior to a stream enters a Black Sea, has been Europe’s pathway to genealogical groups nearing from a north as well as east. Here a Visigoths as well as Ostrogoths as well as Slavs have initial presented themselves to a Roman empire, requesting or perfectionist admission. And here there arrives, in AD 889, an additional group.

They talk about from their predecessors in that they have been not Indo-Europeans. They verbalise a Finno-Ugric language. They call themselves Magyars, though their association of tribes is well well well well known as On-Ogur, definition ‘Ten Arrows’. The diction of On-Ogur by their brand new Slav neighbours leads, eventually, to a name by that a Magyars have been after well well well well known – Hungarians.

The Magyars have been vital for multiform centuries nearby a mouth of a Don, as vassals of a Khazars. From 889 they outlay a couple of years in a Balkans in a use of a Byzantine emperor, though shortly they pierce upon to a northwest, by a Carpathian mountains.

Since 890 their personality has been Arpad, inaugurated aristocrat by a chieftains of a 7 Magyar tribes. His people series no some-more than 25,000, though together they overpower (within a space of a couple of years) a sparse race of a segment right away well well well well known as Hungary. So Arpad becomes a owner of a republic that someway – in all a upheavals of executive Europe – retains a temperament as well as a denunciation down by a centuries.

The attainment of a Hungarians brings a aroused finish to Moravia, additionally well well well well known as Great Moravia, a initial fast dominion determined in eastern Europe. The Moravians have been dejected during a little time around 900. The Hungarians serve denote their energy with a wilful feat over a German armed forces nearby Bratislava in 907.

Thereafter, for multiform decades, a Hungarians have been a profoundly disruptive force in a region, all a time raiding west in to Germany as well as south in to Italy. They have been in a future resigned when a czar Otto we defeats them upon a Lechfeld, nearby Augsburg, in 955.

After their improved upon a Lechfeld a non-believer Hungarians adopt a some-more accommodating proceed to their horse opera neighbours in Germany. In 973 a autarchic commander Géza, great-grandson of Arpad, sends an embassy to a German czar Otto II. And dual years after Géza as well as his family have been baptized in a Roman Catholic church.

Hungary settles down as a eastern aegis of feudal Europe. In a successive era it has a aristocrat rsther than than a chieftain. Even better, a initial aristocrat is a saint. Géza’s son, Stephen I, succeeds him in 997. He becomes a executive pitch of Hungarian nationalism.

Stephen I: AD 997-1038

In his prolonged power Stephen transforms Hungary from a cattle-breeding, genealogical as well as mostly non-believer village to an agricultural, feudal as well as Christian state. He divides his area in to 46 counties as well as 10 dioceses (both numbers enlarge when his borders have been extended) as well as he establishes multiform good Benedictine monasteries to edify a region.

In you do so he acquires good status as a Christian ruler. The story of Sylvester II promulgation a special climax for his accession is a after legend. But a Crown of St Stephen becomes a absolute pitch of nationhood. And Stephen’s canonization in 1083, reduction than half a century after his death, testifies to his status between his contemporaries.

The Arpad dynasty: AD 997-1301

For a many appropriate partial of 3 centuries a descendants of Arpad say Hungary as a absolute Magyar kingdom. There have been durations of aroused disturbance as well as dynastic struggle, as in any Gothic realm. But for many of a time a range is secure in a west opposite vigour from a German empire.

To a easterly as well as a south Hungary’s borders fluctuate, ensuing in attrition from time to time with a Byzantine sovereignty as well as with Venice – a alternative vital powers looking carry out of a Balkans.

An critical prolongation to Hungarian domain is a merger of Croatia. Kalman, a aristocrat of Hungary, invades Croatia in 1097 after being speedy to do so by a pope. In 1102 he is supposed as a Croatian king. He pledges that a dual kingdoms will sojourn separate, related customarily by a climax of St Stephen. It is a kinship that lasts, in varying forms, until 1918.

Hungarian kings, hold up similar to their contemporaries elsewhere in a misunderstanding of feudalism, have been often hold to comment by their barons. The nobles of Hungary direct from Andrew II a Golden Bull of 1222 (just 7 years after Magna Carta) that stands as a licence of liberties. Every successive aristocrat of Hungary has to swear his acceptance of a Bull.

The mid-13th century brings extinction to Hungary. The Mongols unexpected deplane upon a segment in 1241. In a following era Otakar II, aristocrat of Bohemia, constitutes a critical hazard upon a northern border.

At a same time a nation is tormented by a furious as well as wild tribe, a Kumans (a bend of a Kipchak Turks), who quit westwards in to a segment to shun a assault of a even fiercer Mongols. In these resources a Arpad dynasty dwindles to an end. Andrew III, a final king, dies immature as well as childless in 1301.

European monarchs: AD 1301-1526

The initial decade of a 14th century sees a passing of dual long-established inland dynasties in eastern Europe. The Magyar line of a Arpads flickers out in Hungary, after some-more than 3 centuries, with a genocide of Andrew III. Slav order by a Premyslid family in Bohemia is brought to a some-more sudden finish by a room gangland slaying of Wenceslas III in 1306.

In any box a eventuality ends a racial link  a statute dynasty as well as a people. Both kingdoms right away take their place in a patchwork coverlet of Gothic European dynasties. Hungarian as well as Czech nobles demand upon a right to select their kings. And tantalizing alliances have been upon offer.

The Hungarian climax is competed for in 1301 by 3 possibilities – from Bohemia, Bavaria as well as a Naples bend of a residence of Anjou. More than any alternative good family during this time a Angevins have been collectors of European kingdoms, principalities as well as dukedoms (in England as well as most of France, in Sicily as well as Naples). In their dynastic career they have customarily had pope support, as well as once again immature Charles Robert of Anjou-Naples (13-years-old in 1301) is a pope’s choice.

The assault for a Hungarian climax lasts 8 years, though a Angevin aristocrat – right away aged sufficient to order upon his own comment – is eventually enthroned during Buda in 1309 as Charles we of Hungary.

Charles as well as his son, Louis I, order for some-more than seventy years, upon condition that Hungary with a duration of wealth as well as expansion. Moldavia as well as Walachia have been brought quickly underneath Hungarian control. Bosnia as well as Serbia have been enrolled as bondman states.

Hungary is during this time closely related with Poland. Louis’ mom is a sister of Casimir III, aristocrat of Poland. In 1370 Louis inherits a Polish climax from his uncle Casimir, who is childless. And Louis is succeeded upon a Polish bench by his daughter Jadwiga.  this duration as well as a mess of Mohacs, in 1526, such links have been common  a 3 eastern European kingdoms.

1342 as well as 1526 5 Hungarian monarchs additionally order an additional of a eastern European kingdoms. They have been Louis we (Hungary from 1342, Poland from 1370); Sigismund (Hungary from 1385, Bohemia from 1419): Wladyslaw III (Poland from 1434, Hungary from 1440): Vladislav (Bohemia from 1471, Hungary from 1490); as well as Louis II (Hungary as well as Bohemia from 1516).

These links, variously a outcome of marriage, choosing or war, have been standard additionally of a dynastic governing body of horse opera Europe during this time. But a rulers of these 3 kingdoms confront a single complaint that is singular to them – a flourishing hazard to their eastern borders from a Turks. It is met mostly by a efforts of a Hungarians.

Janos Hunyadi: AD 1440-1456

Early in a 1440s a outpost of Belgrade is placed underneath a authority of Janos Hunyadi, a Hungarian soldier who has valid his value in visit encounters with a Turks in these limit regions. Belgrade, formerly a Serbian capital, has been in Hungarian hands given 1427. But a dominion of Serbia is right away a bondman state of a Turks. Indeed a Ottoman sultan, Murad II, has a Serbian princess as a wife.

From Belgrade Hunyadi marches easterly in 1443 opposite Murad, heading a Christian armed forces down a Danube in what is effectively a crusade. At initial a crusaders have a good magnitude of success.

In Nov 1443 Hunyadi takes Nis as well as Sofia. Within a successive 3 months he liberates Serbia, Bulgaria as well as Albania from their Muslim overlords. In Jun 1444 a Turks accept their detriment of these territories as well as determine to a ten-year truce.

This substantial feat is rught away dismantled by Christian fervour as well as duplicity. A principal absolves Hunyadi as well as a alternative leaders from their equal with a sultan, enlivening them to replenish a electioneer as well as to press serve east. This time they have been reduction successful.

In Nov 1444 a Hungarians as well as their allies have been confronted by Murad, who has an armed forces maybe 4 times a distance of theirs, during Varna upon a seashore of a Black Sea. The crusaders have been definitely routed. Wladyslaw III, a immature aristocrat of both Hungary as well as Poland, dies upon a battlefield.

This feat starts a decade of successes for a Turks, culminating in a constraint of Constantinople by Murad’s son, Mehmed II, in 1453. By 1456 a Turks have been once some-more melancholy Belgrade. Seventeen years after his initial appointment to urge a city, Hunyadi is again in assign though with larger responsibilities. Since 1446 he has been monarch of Hungary, during a power of a child aristocrat Laszlo V.

(Anyone unfamiliar with Axis Powers Hetalia probably saw that title and thought “WTF?”)

To be honest, when I got into Hetalia, I didn’t see the point of having an OTP in the series. It’s history. Everyone eventually ends up with everyone else at one point or another. I’d read fic or see comments about historical alliances and think, “Huh. Yeah, I can see that working… damn, I kinda ship it now.” At one point I stopped even referring to it as “shipping” because it seemed far too casual.

Then I was introduced to one of a handful of canon couples, and my perspective shifted yet again.

Meet Roderich Edelstein and Elizaveta Hedevary, aka Austria and Hungary.

At first glance, these two seem to fall into the typical couple mold. One is a gung-ho warrior who bashes people over the head with frying pans and secretly (or not-so-secretly) loves yaoi; the other is a mild-mannered, aristocratic piano aficionado with a tendency to get lost and a slightly prudish manner.

But if you think this shipping is all stereotypes, think again. Hungary is the hot-blooded one, and Austria has the artistic spirit. Hungary was so hardcore even as a child that for quite a while, she and everyone around her thought she was a guy, and she was convinced that the… er, requisite parts would just grow in as she got older. (Poor Prussia was so confused.) On the other hand, Austria was meant to be a warrior state… and failed at that miserably. Now he simply expresses his anger by playing Chopin’s piano sonatas.

Part of this ship’s appeal to me is the reversal of these typical roles. It’s more than a little amusing to see Hungary trying to protect her husband’s virtue and chasing after perverts like France with her ever-present frying pan, rather than the other way around. And of course, there’s something incredibly attractive about a guy that plays piano.

Don’t get me wrong. Hungary has her tender side, particularly towards Chibitalia (young Italy) and the Holy Roman Empire, and Austria has lashed out verbally at various characters on more than one occasion. He also tends to be a bit passive-aggressive; during the Anschluss set of comics and subsequent strips, we can see him being an obnoxious parasite to Germany just to get a rise out of him. But for the most part, Austria’s level-headedness is sharply and hilariously contrasted by Hungary’s rambunctious behavior.

For the longest time, Hungary was Austria’s maid, not his love interest. Their character notes say that she didn’t like being subservient to him, but she “harbor[ed] complicated, yearning-like feelings”. The notes and comics are all but silent on Austria’s perspective, though there is still some evidence he was fond of her. And even though now they’re technically divorced (in real-world canon, Austria-Hungary was split into separate countries in 1918), there’s still a lot of chemistry between them. The Christmas 2007 strips (warning: very much NSFW) show Austria being willing to do just about anything to make Hungary smile. (You may interpret that as you wish.) Even more recently, in the Buon San Valentino strips, he hand-makes a gift for her and is going to deliver it himself… until Germany reminds him that he has absolutely no sense of direction and would get lost. He has someone else deliver it instead, though he refuses to give his name. Hungary still figures out who it was, and is very much d’awwwwww over the whole thing.

While I wouldn’t call this my OTP, not by a long shot, I definitely support this ship. Reasons why:

1) It’s undeniably canon, both in-universe and real-world. This may just be a “me” thing, but I like my Hetalia!pairings to have some historical accuracy. Plus it makes their story more interesting and provides a lot of material for fics and canon strips.

2) It’s cute, dammit.

3) They just work together. You’d think a high-born gentleman like Austria would get fed up with Hungary’s shenanigans and send her packing, or that someone like Hungary would get annoyed having such a pacifist as a husband. But if they’ve been together for this long, I think it’s safe to say they can look forward to enjoying many years in each other’s company.

~Jenni

PS – This fanart piece of Austria is hawt.