The Hungarian Revolution happened in the autumn of 1956, yet for neighboring Austrians, it’s likely the following year which gets associated with the ill-fated uprising. This is due to the influx of Hungarian refugees which began pouring across the border after Soviet intervention successfully squashed the civil unrest. It was to mark the beginning of a tradition of Austrian openness in regards to refugees. But what, if anything, has changed in the more than six decades since modern-day Austria first began to receive refugees from war-torn lands?
Cold War Leadership - 1957
If Europe appears unstable now, stop and consider the way things were in the years immediately after the Second World War. Two bloody conflicts had consumed the continent within 30 years, with political maps being drawn and redrawn so many times it seemed unlikely the post-war borders were to remain permanent for longer than a few months. It was only with the American-enforced embracing of neomercantilism across western Europe - exceptionally outlined and explained in this piece written for the Mises Institute regarding the Cold War - that the post-war world order we recognize today began to take shape.
The geopolitical architecture of Europe in the decades after World War Two - designed by Americans - unsurprisingly placed the distant superpower at the head of management regarding any and all crises which would arise from her conflict with the Soviet Union. In short, if there was to be anymore roughhousing and brewing turmoil on the continent, the US was to nip it in the bud by whichever means seemed most practical.
Enter the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The student-led protest would become the first real challenge to Soviet influence over eastern Europe. However, despite initial success at driving out the puppet government from Budapest, the uprising was no match against the hammer and sickle of the USSR, which soon appeared in the form of soldiers and tanks bound for Hungary.
When it became clear the Soviets had no interest whatsoever in ceding influence, and that the country would firmly remain within their sphere, the US began to take action in cushioning the blow to neighboring European states which was to follow in the form of Hungarian refugees.
The deep sense of responsibility felt by the United States regarding the Hungarian refugee crisis is revealed in a letter written to then-U.S. Ambassador to Austria Llewellyn Thompson from then-Vice President Richard Nixon dated January 3rd,1957. Currently, in the possession of the Raab Collection, a firm specializing in historical documents for sale and preservation, the letter expresses Nixon’s thanks to Thompson for effectively managing the task of resettling nearly 200,000 refugees into Austria, a task which remained ongoing at the time the letter was written:
“You can be proud of the magnificent job being done under your able direction to discharge American responsibility in meeting the needs of the Hungarian refugees in Austria. This compliment is meant for you and your permanent staff of all nationalities and agencies, as well as those who have come from other countries on short notice to meet the need for additional help, the wives and families who have been working long hours as volunteers to relieve hardship, and the hundreds of American and international relief agency workers. All of you have shown a wonderful spirit of dedication in rendering public service in the highest American tradition…”
January 1957
It’s clear from this letter that at the very least, the United States was proud to take on an active role in helping Austria deal with its unprecedented wave of immigrants. After all, America was happily leading the free world and was likely eager to make a gesture of goodwill on the global stage via cool-handling the crisis. Otherwise, the whole incident would wind up being remembered as a Russian win on all fronts.
Post-Cold War Lack of Leadership - 2017
60 years later and it’s still the same major players despite the European map being redrawn once more with the fall of the Soviet Union. The United States remains the most powerful entity among western nations, Austria and much of the rest of Europe remains warzone-free; meanwhile, the Soviet Union is merely rebranded under the new-old name of Russia. Yet, despite very little border adjustment or change in the dynamics of power, the reaction to the Syrian refugee crisis is noticeably different.
Mainly, the welcome is not as strong as it was in 1957. As of July 2016, Austria has admitted just under 40,000 Syrian refugees - less than a quarter of the number of Hungarian refugees admitted in the late 1950s.
Perhaps it’s for the seemingly most apparent reason: the refugees themselves are noticeably different. Instead of blue-eyed/blonde Hungarians, those seeking escape from war are olive-skinned Muslims from the middle-east - a far cry from the standard stock of Austria and the rest of western Europe. Combined with a series of high profile and often deadly terrorist attacks perpetrated by Islamic extremists in Europe, it’s easy to see how Austrians would resist the call to take in more Syrian refugees.
Or perhaps it’s because we are in different times; the European economy of 2017 is simply not fixed to absorb the shock felt by hundreds of thousands of refugees entering the continent. Austria understandably hesitates to put its already fragile economy at risk of further teetering due to irresponsibly taking in more refugees than they can handle.
But perhaps the cause for reduced Austrian enthusiasm for accepting refugees is based on something else as well: absence of outside support - mainly the once steadfast involvement of the United States in all matters concerning international calamity.
Once proud to take an active role in managing the world order, the United States is receding in its desire to play such a major part on the global stage. Rather than lead, the current political and corporate powers in America are preferring to sit back and observe, seemingly in an effort to focus inward on the U.S. itself.
If there is doubt that the U.S. is less interested in playing a part abroad, one only has to consider the likelihood of the current administration's vice president writing a letter of praise for responsible resettlement of refugees, similar to the one written by Nixon in 1957. It isn't going to happen!