This presentation will discuss why Hungary has experienced a rather inordinate number of both bloodless and violent revolutions, encompassing urban uprisings as those of 1918 and 1919, and national struggles for independence in 1703-1711, 1848-1849, and 1956. The explanation may lie in the fact that the country has had a long tradition of absolute sovereignty under the leadership of a powerful nobility; yet, because it lies on the crossroads of great migrations and invasions, it was often subjugated by great powers. Remarkably, in each case the national cause was combined with a strong movement for social justice.