“Such Arbitrary and Rude Action”: István Deák’s Reports on His Expulsion from Hungary in 1973–74

Abstract

Abstract The primary sources published here were authored by the noted Hungarian-American historian István Deák (1926–2023). They provide a firsthand account of his expulsion from Hungary at the end of 1973 and also of his subsequent harassment by the Hungarian state security during his return trip in the summer of 1974. The documents are prefaced by an introduction to the various trans-Atlantic cultural exchange programs during the Cold War period, with a particular focus on the conflict between the Hungarian authorities and the International Research & Exchanges Board that was caused by Deák’s expulsion.