Every year around March 15 my school fills up with Hungarian national flags, cockades, huge banners of cafés, squares, museums and a funny looking mustached bloke. We have a shorter school day because everyone's to attend a show directed by one of the twenty one classes of the school at the community house of the town. We hurry to get a good seat, hopefully near the stage. It's covered with national flags, cockades, huge banners of cafés, squares, museums and the funny looking bloke with the mustach.
I hope everyone is wondering now what the heck is that all about. March 15 is a national fest in Hungary, the commemoration day and the iconic beginning of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848.
In the 19th century Hungary was part of the Habsburg Empire stretched through Middle Europe. This time, however, was probably the most eventful and most significant period of our Austrian occupation, because during the Napoleon Wars Hungary was as many other nations of the Middle European region flooded by the novel ideas of liberalism and nationalism. These brought about an ever growing pressure on the Habsburg Court to enable function of the Hungarian Diet, that had not been convened for decades. Finally, in the 1820s the Emperor was forced to convene the Diet, and so the era of reforms begun. Nevertheless, the Diet's progress was slow, because the nobles insisted on retaining their privileges (no taxation, exclusive voting rights, etc.). Therefore the achievements were mostly of national character (e.g. introduction of Hungarian as one of the official languages of the country, instead of the former Latin).
Count István Széchenyi, one of the most prominent statesmen of the country recognized the urgent need of modernization and his message got through. The Hungarian Parliament was summoned once again in 1825 to handle financial needs. A liberal party emerged in the Diet. The party focused on providing for the peasantry. Lajos Kossuth - famous journalist at that time - emerged as leader of the House of lower people in the Parliament. Habsburg monarchs tried to preclude the industrialisation of the country and obstructed all important liberal laws about the human civil and political rights and economic reforms. Many reformers (like Lajos Kossuth, Mihály Táncsics) were imprisoned by the authorities.
The Revolution started on March 15, 1848, with bloodless events in Pest and Buda (mass demonstrations forcing the imperial governor to accept all demands) organized by a number of young poets and writers whose legendary gathering place was Café Pilvax in the capital. They were the authors of the 12 Points, that is 12 supreme demands of Hungary.
The 12 points
What the Hungarian nation wants.
Let there be peace, liberty, and concord!
1.We want freedom of the press, the abolition of censorship.
2.A responsible government in Buda-Pest.
3.An annual parliamentary session in Pest.
4.Civil and religious equality before the law.
5.A Hungarian National Guard.
6.A joint sharing of tax burdens.
7.The cessation of socage (land tenure).
8.Juries and representation on an equal basis.
9.A national bank.
10.The army must swear to support the constitution, our soldiers must not be dispatched abroad, foreign soldiers must be removed from our soil.
11.The freeing of political prisoners.
12.Union with Erdély (Transylvania).
The most famous figure of the Youngsters of March - as they were called -, was Sándor Petőfi, author of Nemzeti Dal, a patriotic poem written for the revolution, asking Hungarian people to stand up for the rights of their nation. This famous poem was recited to citizens in front of the National Museum of Pest.
The happenings of March 15 were followed by various insurrections throughout the kingdom, which enabled Hungarian reformists to declare Hungary's new government and the first Prime Minister Lajos Batthyány of Hungary. The new government approved a sweeping reform package, referred to as the "April laws", which essentially created a democratic political system in Hungary. They also demanded that the Hungarian government receive and expend all taxes raised in Hungary, and have authority over Hungarian regiments in the Habsburg army. However, by the end of August, the imperial government in Vienna officially ordered the Hungarian government in Pest to end plans for a Hungarian army.
The Austrian ruler and his advisors skillfully manipulated the Croatian, Serbian and Romanian peasantry to rebel against Hungary, but the Hungarians were supported by the vast majority of the Slovak, German, Rusyn nationalities, as well as by the Jews of the kingdom and a large number of Polish, Austrian and Italian volunteers. Initially, the Hungarian forces (Honvédség) achieved several victories fighting with Austrian armies (at Pákozd in September 1848 and at Isaszeg in April 1849), during which they even declared Hungary's total independence from the Habsburg Empire, in April 1849. Because of the success of revolutional resistance, Franz Joseph had to ask for help from "The Gendarme of Europe", Czar Nicholas I, and Russian armies invaded Hungary, causing antagonism between the Hungarians and the Russians. In June 1849 Russian and Austrian troops entered Hungary heavily outnumbering the Hungarian army. After all appeals to other European states failed, Kossuth abdicated on August 11, 1849 in favor of Artúr Görgey, whom he thought was the only general who was capable of saving the nation. On August 13, Görgey signed the surrender at Világos (now Şiria, Romania) to the Russians, who handed the army over to the Austrians.
Julius Jacob von Haynau, the leader of the Austrian army who then became governor of Hungary for a few months of retribution, ordered the execution of 1 leaders of the Hungarian army in Arad and the Prime minister Batthyány in Pest on October 6 1849. October 6 is also one of the National Holidays of Hungary commemorating of the 13 Martyrs od Arad.
After seriously heavy retribution of the revolution - and pressed by foreign political situation - Emperor Jozef Franz and Hungarian statesman Ferenc Deák signed the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 which established the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The summing up of this document is incredibly controversial among Hungarian historians, because some find it debatable that Hungary actually made a step forward by signing the treaty, that is, as they say, Deák and his party allowed of the "April laws", the demands of the revolution. Personally, I find it rather ridiculous that some people are not satisfied with any kind of Compromise - even if that indeed means allowing of the demands of a revolution that was ,though sadly, actually defeated.
I hope everyone enjoyed the story of the biggest revolution of my nation. I'd be really happy to read your opinions about both my article and the revolution. Many thanks to Wikipedia (I'd have never had the patience to look for special warfare expressions in the dictionary). I added some pictures, I hope you enjoy it.
I hope everyone is wondering now what the heck is that all about. March 15 is a national fest in Hungary, the commemoration day and the iconic beginning of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848.
In the 19th century Hungary was part of the Habsburg Empire stretched through Middle Europe. This time, however, was probably the most eventful and most significant period of our Austrian occupation, because during the Napoleon Wars Hungary was as many other nations of the Middle European region flooded by the novel ideas of liberalism and nationalism. These brought about an ever growing pressure on the Habsburg Court to enable function of the Hungarian Diet, that had not been convened for decades. Finally, in the 1820s the Emperor was forced to convene the Diet, and so the era of reforms begun. Nevertheless, the Diet's progress was slow, because the nobles insisted on retaining their privileges (no taxation, exclusive voting rights, etc.). Therefore the achievements were mostly of national character (e.g. introduction of Hungarian as one of the official languages of the country, instead of the former Latin).
Count István Széchenyi, one of the most prominent statesmen of the country recognized the urgent need of modernization and his message got through. The Hungarian Parliament was summoned once again in 1825 to handle financial needs. A liberal party emerged in the Diet. The party focused on providing for the peasantry. Lajos Kossuth - famous journalist at that time - emerged as leader of the House of lower people in the Parliament. Habsburg monarchs tried to preclude the industrialisation of the country and obstructed all important liberal laws about the human civil and political rights and economic reforms. Many reformers (like Lajos Kossuth, Mihály Táncsics) were imprisoned by the authorities.
The Revolution started on March 15, 1848, with bloodless events in Pest and Buda (mass demonstrations forcing the imperial governor to accept all demands) organized by a number of young poets and writers whose legendary gathering place was Café Pilvax in the capital. They were the authors of the 12 Points, that is 12 supreme demands of Hungary.
The 12 points
What the Hungarian nation wants.
Let there be peace, liberty, and concord!
1.We want freedom of the press, the abolition of censorship.
2.A responsible government in Buda-Pest.
3.An annual parliamentary session in Pest.
4.Civil and religious equality before the law.
5.A Hungarian National Guard.
6.A joint sharing of tax burdens.
7.The cessation of socage (land tenure).
8.Juries and representation on an equal basis.
9.A national bank.
10.The army must swear to support the constitution, our soldiers must not be dispatched abroad, foreign soldiers must be removed from our soil.
11.The freeing of political prisoners.
12.Union with Erdély (Transylvania).
The most famous figure of the Youngsters of March - as they were called -, was Sándor Petőfi, author of Nemzeti Dal, a patriotic poem written for the revolution, asking Hungarian people to stand up for the rights of their nation. This famous poem was recited to citizens in front of the National Museum of Pest.
The happenings of March 15 were followed by various insurrections throughout the kingdom, which enabled Hungarian reformists to declare Hungary's new government and the first Prime Minister Lajos Batthyány of Hungary. The new government approved a sweeping reform package, referred to as the "April laws", which essentially created a democratic political system in Hungary. They also demanded that the Hungarian government receive and expend all taxes raised in Hungary, and have authority over Hungarian regiments in the Habsburg army. However, by the end of August, the imperial government in Vienna officially ordered the Hungarian government in Pest to end plans for a Hungarian army.
The Austrian ruler and his advisors skillfully manipulated the Croatian, Serbian and Romanian peasantry to rebel against Hungary, but the Hungarians were supported by the vast majority of the Slovak, German, Rusyn nationalities, as well as by the Jews of the kingdom and a large number of Polish, Austrian and Italian volunteers. Initially, the Hungarian forces (Honvédség) achieved several victories fighting with Austrian armies (at Pákozd in September 1848 and at Isaszeg in April 1849), during which they even declared Hungary's total independence from the Habsburg Empire, in April 1849. Because of the success of revolutional resistance, Franz Joseph had to ask for help from "The Gendarme of Europe", Czar Nicholas I, and Russian armies invaded Hungary, causing antagonism between the Hungarians and the Russians. In June 1849 Russian and Austrian troops entered Hungary heavily outnumbering the Hungarian army. After all appeals to other European states failed, Kossuth abdicated on August 11, 1849 in favor of Artúr Görgey, whom he thought was the only general who was capable of saving the nation. On August 13, Görgey signed the surrender at Világos (now Şiria, Romania) to the Russians, who handed the army over to the Austrians.
Julius Jacob von Haynau, the leader of the Austrian army who then became governor of Hungary for a few months of retribution, ordered the execution of 1 leaders of the Hungarian army in Arad and the Prime minister Batthyány in Pest on October 6 1849. October 6 is also one of the National Holidays of Hungary commemorating of the 13 Martyrs od Arad.
After seriously heavy retribution of the revolution - and pressed by foreign political situation - Emperor Jozef Franz and Hungarian statesman Ferenc Deák signed the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 which established the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The summing up of this document is incredibly controversial among Hungarian historians, because some find it debatable that Hungary actually made a step forward by signing the treaty, that is, as they say, Deák and his party allowed of the "April laws", the demands of the revolution. Personally, I find it rather ridiculous that some people are not satisfied with any kind of Compromise - even if that indeed means allowing of the demands of a revolution that was ,though sadly, actually defeated.
I hope everyone enjoyed the story of the biggest revolution of my nation. I'd be really happy to read your opinions about both my article and the revolution. Many thanks to Wikipedia (I'd have never had the patience to look for special warfare expressions in the dictionary). I added some pictures, I hope you enjoy it.