Hungary–United States relations

Hungarian – American relations
Diplomatic mission
Hungarian Embassy, Washington, D.C.	United States Embassy, Budapest
Envoy
Ambassador László Szabó	David Pressman

Diplomatic relations between Hungary and the United States of America have existed with interruptions since 1848.

History

Pre-independence

The Hungarian State produced by the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was recognised by the United States. Hungarian revolutionary Lajos Kossuth was brought to the United States by an American warship in 1851. An American diplomatic post to the Kingdom of Hungary was established in 1869, and upgraded to a consulate in 1904.^[1]

Interwar

President Warren G. Harding called for the United States Congress to create a peace treaty between the United States and Hungary on 2 July 1921. Negotiations started in Budapest on 9 July 1921, and there were no difficulties as there was no significant conflict between the two sides during the war nor were any Americans held as prisoners of war. The U.S.–Hungarian Peace Treaty was signed on 29 August.^[2]

The United States' legation was established in Budapest on 26 December 1921. Hungary opened its first consulates in New York City, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Clveland in 1922. László Széchenyi, the first Hungarian minister to the United States, presented his credentials on 11 January 1922, and served until 31 March 1933.^[1]

In the 1930s Standard Oil of New Jersey started exploring for oil in Hungary.^[3] The Hungarian-American Oil Corporation (MAORT) started oil production in 1937. This rose from 1.3 million tons of oil in 1937, to 37.3 million tons in 1938, and 141.8 million tons in 1939.^[4]

World War II

The United States represented the British after the United Kingdom and Hungary ended diplomatic relations on 7 April 1941. The British ultimatum to Hungary requesting that it end its participation in the war against the Soviet Union was delivered by Americans on 29 November. The United States was opposed to the United Kingdom declaring war on Hungary as it was believed that it would strengthen the pro-war faction in Hungary. The ultimatum expired and the British declared war on 7 December.^[5]

Germany's declaration of war against the United States resulted in László Bárdossy ending diplomatic relations with the United States on 11 December. Bárdossy was opposed to war with the United States as he felt it would be similar to Panama and Costa Rica declarations of war against Japan, as neither side would be greatly involved in the conflict against the subject of the declaration.^[6] However, Bárdossy informed Herbert Pell on 13 December that a state of war existed between the United States and Hungary.^[7]

U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull opposed declaring war on Hungary as he viewed it as a puppet state of Germany.^[8] On 2 June 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt requested the United States Congress to declare war on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.^[9]

Tibor Eckhardt left Hungary on 7 March 1941, and travelled to the United States. Germany's Federal Foreign Office was suspicious of Eckhardt, but Horthy denied sending him on a mission. Eckhardt made contact with the United States Department of State as the leader of an independent Hungary movement. Eckhardt was stripped of his Hungarian citizenship in October. His independent Hungary movement disbanded in July 1942.^[10]

Polling

According to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, 38% of Hungarians approve of U.S. leadership, with 20% disapproving and 42% uncertain, a decrease from 53% approval in 2011.^[11] According to a 2018 poll, 68% of Hungarians viewed the United States favorably.^[12]

High-level mutual visits

Guest	Host	Place of visit	Date of visit
Prime Minister Ferenc Nagy	President Harry S. Truman	Washington, D.C., New York City	June 11–17, 1946 (1946-06-11 – 1946-06-17)
Prime Minister Károly Grósz	President Ronald Reagan	Washington, D.C.	July 26–28, 1988 (1988-07-26 – 1988-07-28)
President George H. W. Bush	Prime Minister Miklós Németh	Budapest	July 11–13, 1989 (1989-07-11 – 1989-07-13)
Acting President Árpád Göncz	President George H. W. Bush	Washington, D.C.	May 18, 1990
Prime Minister József Antall			October 18, 1990
President Árpád Göncz			May 23, 1991
Prime Minister József Antall			October 4, 1991
President Árpád Göncz	President Bill Clinton		April 20–22, 1993 (1993-04-20 – 1993-04-22)
President Árpád Göncz	President Bill Clinton		June 20–21, 1994 (1994-06-20 – 1994-06-21)
President Bill Clinton	President Árpád Göncz Prime Minister Gyula Horn	Budapest	December 5, 1994
Prime Minister Gyula Horn	President Bill Clinton	Washington, D.C.	June 6, 1995
President Bill Clinton	President Árpád Göncz Prime Minister Gyula Horn	Taszár	December 13, 1996
President Árpád Göncz	President Bill Clinton	Washington, D.C.	March 17–18, 1998 (1998-03-17 – 1998-03-18)
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán			October 5–8, 1998 (1998-10-05 – 1998-10-08)
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán			April 23–25, 1999 (1999-04-23 – 1999-04-25)
President Árpád Göncz		Washington, D.C., Chicago	June 6–9, 1999 (1999-06-06 – 1999-06-09)
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán	President George W. Bush	Washington, D.C.	May 29, 2001
Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy			November 7–9, 2002 (2002-11-07 – 2002-11-09)
Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy			June 21–23, 2004 (2004-06-21 – 2004-06-23)
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány			October 3–7, 2005 (2005-10-03 – 2005-10-07)
President George W. Bush	President László Sólyom Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány	Budapest	June 21–22, 2006 (2006-06-21 – 2006-06-22)
Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai	President Barack Obama	Washington, D.C.	December 4, 2009
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán		Chicago	May 20–21, 2012 (2012-05-20 – 2012-05-21)
		Washington, D.C.	March 31 – April 1, 2016 (2016-03-31 – 2016-04-01)
	President Donald Trump	Washington, D.C.	May 13, 2019

Resident diplomatic missions

of Hungary in the United States

Embassy^[13] (1): Washington, D.C.
Consulate General (3): Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City
Vice-Consulates (2): Houston, Miami
Honorary Consulate General (1): Atlanta
Consulate Honorary (16): Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Hampden, Honolulu, Mayagüez, Mercer Island, New Orleans, Portland, Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Louis Park, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Sarasota, Charlotte

of the United States in Hungary

Embassy^[14] (1): Budapest

Embassy of Hungary in Washington, D.C.
Consulate-General of Hungary in New York City
Embassy of the United States in Budapest

Sister-Twinning cities

Budapest and New York City, New York
Miskolc and Cleveland, Ohio
Pécs and Seattle, Washington / Tucson, Arizona
Siófok and Walnut Creek, California
Szeged and Toledo, Ohio
Tatabánya and Fairfield, Connecticut
Tokaj and Sonoma, California

References

^ ^a ^b Hungary-U.S. Diplomatic Relations.
^ Major 1974, p. 174.
^ Fenyo 1972, p. 93.
^ Fenyo 1972, p. 94.
^ Fenyo 1972, pp. 45–47.
^ Fenyo 1972, p. 51.
^ Fenyo 1972, p. 52.
^ Fenyo 1972, p. 53.
^ Message to Congress on a State of War Between the United States and Hungary, Rumania, and Bulgaria.
^ Fenyo 1972, pp. 111–112.
^ U.S. Global Leadership Project Report - 2012 Gallup
^ "Special Eurobarometer 479: Future of Europe". 10 December 2018. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
^ Embassy of Hungary in Washington, D.C.
^ "Embassy of United States in Budapest". Archived from the original on 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2017-01-01.

Works cited

Books

Major, Mark (1974). American Hungarian Relations 1918-1944. Danubian Press. ISBN 0879340363.
Fenyo, Mario (1972). Hitler, Horthy, and Hungary: German-Hungarian Relations, 1941-1944. Yale University Press.

Web

"Hungary-U.S. Diplomatic Relations". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 6 July 2025.
"Message to Congress on a State of War Between the United States and Hungary, Rumania, and Bulgaria". The American Presidency Project. Archived from the original on 6 July 2025.

External links

History of Hungary - U.S. relations

[FOOTNOTEHungary-U.S._Diplomatic_Relations-1] Hungary-U.S. Diplomatic Relations.

[FOOTNOTEMajor1974174-2] Major 1974, p. 174.

[FOOTNOTEFenyo197293-3] Fenyo 1972, p. 93.

[FOOTNOTEFenyo197294-4] Fenyo 1972, p. 94.

[FOOTNOTEFenyo197245–47-5] Fenyo 1972, pp. 45–47.

[FOOTNOTEFenyo197251-6] Fenyo 1972, p. 51.

[FOOTNOTEFenyo197252-7] Fenyo 1972, p. 52.

[FOOTNOTEFenyo197253-8] Fenyo 1972, p. 53.

[FOOTNOTEMessage_to_Congress_on_a_State_of_War_Between_the_United_States_and_Hungary,_Rumania,_and_Bulgaria.-9] Message to Congress on a State of War Between the United States and Hungary, Rumania, and Bulgaria.

[FOOTNOTEFenyo1972111–112-10] Fenyo 1972, pp. 111–112.

[11] U.S. Global Leadership Project Report - 2012 Gallup

[Eurobarometer-12] "Special Eurobarometer 479: Future of Europe". 10 December 2018. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.

[13] Embassy of Hungary in Washington, D.C.

[14] "Embassy of United States in Budapest". Archived from the original on 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2017-01-01.

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