Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A. D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe.
The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I.
The country fell under communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow.
Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism. "
Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years later.
In 2011, Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU for the first time.