While we don't really know anything about Toby pre-TTSS other than he is Hungarian and was found in Vienna by Smiley, a city bum trying to make his way in the world.
What do you think his life was like before the Circus? This is certainly falling in the realm of guesses and theories but I am just curious about what people think. Was he in WWII? If so, what role did he play? How educated do you think he is? Etc.
Just curious to hear people's thoughts on the matter.
It's an interesting proposition to consider this character's life. I am not versed in Hungarian history, so as you read the following keep that in mind.
He's educated, so that leads one to three possibilities:
1. Officer in the Hungarian Army
2. Former academic
3. Former businessman
Was Toby Esterhase an Officer in the Hungarian Army?
According to Wikipedia Hungary signed a pact with Hitler to regain lands lost in the Trianon Treaty signed at Versaille in 1920. In gaining its territory it agreed to invade Yugoslavia through its three Field Armies. Each Army suffered huge losses in battles with the Soviet forces that culminated with the Battle of Budapest in February 1945. Now the Officer class would have some origins with the aristocratic and educated classes of Hungary. Could Toby Esterhase be from one of these families. Could Esterhase be a loyal Hungarian and yet be a party to Nazi domination of the military. Did Esterhase fight against the Russians at Stalingrad in '42, and realize the futility of the alliance? Did he then escape home on leave to become a part of the Resistance? It is noted that Hungarian troops failed to participate in the killing during the Warsaw Uprising? Was Toby there? If he did become part of the Hungarian Resistance (was there such an movement??) How was he accepted having been a former military officer?
He does seem to show leadership characteristics in how he leads his crew through action. He says to Smiley in TTTS "I would use twelve men. No, not just one man." He therefore has understanding of tactics. That could have been taught to him over the years of association with the Circus. But, an officer has a more operational mind.
Was Toby Esterhase a former academic?
It is a known fact that British Intelligence mined the countries universities for its best people. Historically, Maclean and Burgess were educated at Cambridge. Could Esterhase have an academic? He doesn't seem to be very professorial? But, that in itself does not make a very good operative. Le Carre is noted that two people from his college days influenced him, a chaplain and a professor, and from these men and his own personality was Smiley born. Politics interfered considerably with Hungarian education (see The Social and Political History of Hungary <http://mek.oszk.hu/03700/03797/03797.htm#7>;. Therefore, what side was Toby on? What did he teach or was he just a good student that got wrapped up in history?
Was Toby Esterhase a former businessman?
Did he lose everything in the War? Did he have a network of business contacts created during pre-War Europe? I know of one man, a Polish Jew whose family had a meat processing business in Krakow, who due to his business dealings travelled extensively throughout pre-War Europe. this man had a fancy for the horses, and kept a small stable in Munich. Even as the anti-Semitic climate was being stirred up in the late Thirties, he would still travel from his home to see and bet on his horses. Finally, his family had to leave Europe via Lisbon for the North America. Could this have been a similar background for Toby Esterhase?
I am interested in your reply.
Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. -- Norman Maclean
That is an interesting take. Sorry I didn't reply sooner. Here is my reply/take to Toby's life.
The officer in the army/possibly from am aristocratic family:
The Esterhazys (the Hungarian spelling of the name) were a very old family, from the 1400's or so, and one of the most powerful families in Hungary. Some of the members even held the title of prince under Habsburg rule. I believe they even managed to maintain it after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian empire in WWI.
Now I think Carre may have just taken the name as the few biographical things we know about Toby does not point to an aristocratic background. (the simple fact that he was living in poverty in Vienna when Smiley found him)
Education wise, I know on some other threads ppl have said that he wasn't very well educated but no where in the books is that stated. In fact it seems to be quite the opposite. When Smiley found him in Vienna I think he was attempting to put himself through university while selling fake paintings and living in an abandoned art museum that some dead relative used to own.
This leads me to believe that while he may not be educated in the classic sense like Haydon and some of the other big boys of the circus, he certainly does have some academia in his background.
World war II involvement is possible. TTSS and SP take place in the 70's and I put Toby around 50 (give or take a few years). This means that he was born around the 20's so would have been a young man when WWII broke out. It is quite possible that he was either drafted or joined out of his own free will into the army. He is described as being stiff backed, unfriendly jaw, and rarely smiling (TTSS description, this changes a bit in SP and Secret Pilgrim). This description could easily fit someone who was in the military which lends some credence to the theory of his military involvement.
after WWII the Soviets quickly laid claim to Hungary and many wealthy families lost their land, money, and titles. Not to mention the upper middle class. I have my serious doubts that Toby came from a wealthy family (he doesn't act like he does, he tries too hard to be upper crust and had he been born into it would come more naturally. But then perhaps the Hungarians are more flamboyant than the British culturally (quite possible and the British tend to be rather repressed) in which case Toby could be from a well to do background.) Still this does not explain the starving student in Vienna thing though. Or his switching alliances from Austria/Hungary to Britain.
The wealthy and powerful families, such as the Exterhazy's, were deathly loyal to their country and the monarchy (before it fell). After the Soviet invasion the Esterhazys realigned themselves with Russia in order to preserve some of their power. This does open the possibility of Toby not agreeing with his family and being disinherited.
But in all honesty, I think he came from a middle class family that lost a lot of their wealth in the war and the following Soviet invasion. In order to escape this Toby fled to Austria where he was found by Smiley a few years later.
Sorry for rambling. I think much of this rather repetitive, I am sorry.
I think your last idea is closest. I always think of The Third Man when it comes to Toby's background, finding a way of making hiself useful to someone like Major Calloway, then catching the eye of someone like Smiley then getting drawn into "stealing some horses".
Good education in Hungary before the war, a year in England at Oxford or Cambridge perhaps, drafted into the army, everything goes wrong during the war, then he fights his way into the service.
Yes, I think he was decently educated. I don't know if he finished university because we're never told when Smiley picks him up in Austria - and what he was doing to attract his attention.
I have my bets on selling information to whoever was the highest bidder, getting himself into trouble, then going to Smiley to have him bail him out. Or something to that extent - perhaps Smiley arrived precisely when he needed him to, maybe the Angel nickname has more to it.
I always got the impression that Toby was maybe a little too young to formally participate in WWII. Bernard Hepton’s portrayal of Toby was older than what le Carre envisioned in the books. At the time Smiley’s People takes place he’d only 15 years with the Circus. I think that when he says to George “I was a Liepzig, a bum.” says it all. A war refuge, with no papers, living off his wits on the streets of Vienna. George, the ultimate talent scout recognized Toby’s potential and brought him in. Also the lack of respect he receives from his colleagues is not only due to the fact that he is non English, but because of his early low station in life.
shareI'm sure you're right in the sense that Toby was a victim of the war rather than an active participant, but I think bums like Otto Leipzig got their start and made their connections in the black market days of the aftermath.
shareI can't remember which book it was, but I remember something where le Carre touches on Toby's pre-Circus past a bit. I think he came to George's attention though some shady deal he had going on with the Circus, which is why he says he was a Leipzig. I think that kind of past is why he was in charge of the Lamplighters, he would need that kind of shady black market contacts to do his bits of business, with perfect deniability by the Circus.
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I don't know. But I wonder why he had such a strong Hungarian accent in this, when he didn't in TTSS.
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