Hungarian+Revolution+of+1848



Hungary for Revolution (Hungarian Revolution of 1848) Inspired by the Revolution of 1848 in Paris, a bloodless revolution in Hungary led by young intellectuals began on March 15. The revolutionaries, which including the poet Sándor Petőfi, abolished censorship in Pest (later part of Budapest) and formulated a series of demands.



The Hungarian people demanded freedom of press, abolition of censure, freedom of religion, a national bank, and the abolition of feudal conditions from the Habsburgs who ruled Hungary. After various insurrections throughout the kingdom, a new democratic form of government was formed. The new government established the April Laws which enacted important internal reforms, such as the generalizing of taxes, and the reorganization of the lower table of Parliament on a representative basis. Lajos Kossuth became the minister of finance and Count Lajos Batthyány became the first prime minister. Kossuth started a newspaper that spread revolutionary views, such as the right for any man to hold any public office, the right to own property, the right of serfs to buy their freedoms, taxation of nobles, an end to economic monopoly and special privileges, universal education and creation of independent judiciary. Kossuth and the Hungarian Diet (parliament) also declared Magyar (Hungarian) the official language of administration, replacing Latin.

Newly to the throne of Austrian Empire, Emperor Franz Josef asked Tsar Nicholas I of Russia for assistance to put down the Hungarian rebellion. Nicholas sent 70,000 Russian soldiers into Hungary to aid the Austrians.

After much fighting, the Hungarians surrendered at Vilagos on August 13, 1849, which ended the Hungarian revolution. Kossuth was exiled and left to the United States, where he continued to support Hungarian nationalism. When the Austrians took control of Hungary once more, Franz Josef got rid of the Hungarian constitution and treated Hungary like a conquered territory.  In 1866 the Prussians defeated the Austrians, further underscoring the weakness of the Habsburg Empire. Negotiations between the emperor and the Hungarian leaders resulted in the Compromise of 1867. The Dual Monarchy, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was formed after the Austrian House of Hapsburg agreed to share power with the separate Hungarian government. The Dual Monarchy divided the territory of the Austrian Empire between them. It lasted until 1918, for a total of 51 years. 

Currently March 15 is recognized as Revolution Day, a Hungarian national holiday. Dual Monarchy- Austria- Hungary

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