Flag of the Duchy of Hungary
External Security
Most Secret
Bureau of Foreign Military Affairs
Special Balkans Analysis Task Force
January 17, 2046
Flag of the Duchy of Hungary
History
The Duchy of Hungary was created in 1992 by the Roman Empire as one of the buffer states between
itself and the turmoil of East Central Europe. After the conquest of the most fertile and valuable soil of the
Hungarian Danube Plain, the remainder of the old nation of Hungary was recognized as an independent entity
under the command of its military dictator, Georg Klapka, who became Duke Georg I. While the Roman
government recognized that retaining a rump Hungarian state could lead to trouble in the future, Caesar
Augustus II recognized that if properly handled, the Hungarians would be too weak to pose a threat to his
empire, yet too tough for the warlords north of them. Despite several border wars, 2003-4, 2011-12, and
2039-41, the Hungarians have not been able to reclaim their lost lands. Despite these wars, relations between
the two states are usually quite good. The duchy is bordered on the north and west by the Kingdom of
Slovakia, with which it has had a very stormy relationship, with wars being fought in 1998-2004, 2016-2019,
and 2028-2029. To the east lies the Duchy of Transylvania, which has been equally hostile to Hungary, with
Wars being fought in 1997-98, 2018, and 2036. The Roman Empire lies to the south.
Diplomatic Situation
The Hungarians are a proud and independent people. When the Mongols demanded submission, the Hungarians refused, swearing that they would resist to the last. The Mongol ambassador assured them that they would be obliged. Currently, they are allied with the Duchy of Transylvania, which despite a long tradition of mutual hostility, also refused to accept Mongol overlordship. The Duchy is also considered a vassal of the Emperor of Rome, both by the Romans and by the Hungarians when it is in their own interest. Currently, the Hungarians, Transylvanians, and Romans have formed a combined military command, the Carpathian League Army, under Roman Field Marshal Duke Giovanni Cadorna.
The Hungarians formerly had alliances with the Duchy of Ruthenia, the Kingdoms of East and South Poland, and the Duchy of Roumelia, but all of these states have fallen under Mongol control or influence, and thus have broken off relations with the Hungarians.
The Duchy has long been friendly with the UKA, but contacts have been restricted because of Roman
interference. The Hungarians have maintained an diplomatic mission in Portland only since 2039, when they
went to war with the Romans in quasi-alliance with us. In 2045, they open full diplomatic relations with us,
with the permission of the current Caesar. The current ambassador is Baron Hermann von Kovesshaza.
The Ducal Family
The current duke is Istvan I Augustus Klapka, b. February 2, 2014. He is married to Teresa Anna Tersztvansky, the daughter of one of Istvan's generals, and they have one child, Moritz Ludwig Klapka, born March 30, 2045. Istvan is a dynamic and forceful leader with a very strong will. He takes very careful handling under normal circumstances, though he is very favorable to the UKA, because he feels that it can provide him with help against the Romans when time comes to liberate Hungary from them. He also feels that it is Hungary's destiny to become the dominant power in central Europe, as it was in the middle ages. Despite this grandiose mindset, Istvan appears to be a very practical politician, and he is willing to work with those he feels thwart his ambitions if it is necessary to do so, which it always is.
The House of Klapka is related to a number of other major noble houses as the result of dynastic marriages. Istvan's oldest sister Sophie is the mother of the current king of Slovakia, King Arthur I Stefan Sarkotic von Lovcen. His next oldest sister is the wife of King Ferdinand I Uszynski of East Poland. His remaining sister, Anna, is the mother of the king of Belorus, Nikolai I.
Anna has been very useful for the Roman Foreign Intelligence Service (RFIS) as a source of
information on Mongol policy toward their "protectorates." King Nikolai is 15, and thus the government of
Belorus is being handled through a Mongol appointed regency council. Anna has been relegated to a virtual
harem, and in retaliation, has been sending reports to her brother via the Romans.
Military Situation
The Hungarians have equipped their armies with Italian small arms and mortars. The Romans,
however, have prohibited access to tube artillery in order to maintain their edge. Despite this, the Hungarian
Ducal Army is one of the best in Europe, unit for unit. The officer corps and rank and file both have learned
their trade as mercenaries in most of the western world's armies, particularly the Roman and UKA armies.
Their infantry follow Roman organization and doctrine, while their cavalry and engineers follow that of the
Portlanders. The Hungarians also have fortified most of the passes leading into their country, making them
a tough nation to invade. They are believed to have an adequate stock of spare weapons and ammunition,
particularly as the Romans have been particularly generous following the creation of the Carpathian League.
Army Organization
Hungarian Carpathian Corps - Lt. General Moritz Tersztvansky
Military Equipment
The Hungarian Army is exclusively equipped with Roman military arms. The standard rifle is the
M1991 Carcano 6.5mm Bolt Action Rifle, the 6.5mm Breda Medium Machinegun, and standard Italian 45mm
and 81mm mortars. The Hungarians own a few Italian-made trucks. They have been forbidden the ownership of tube
artillery, armored vehicles, and aircraft by the Romans.
Economy
Hungary's foriegn trade has a number of significant components. The most significant Hungarian export is the provision of mercenary soldiers. The income sent home by these men, and subsidy payments by the Romans in return for recruiting rights, are the biggest source of foreign currency. Another sector is the breeding of horses, which the Hungarians export in large numbers. THe final source of revenue is the sale of timber products to Italy.
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