Hungarian Demands On The Austrian Empire

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. The Compromise put an end to the 18-year-long military dictatorship and absolutist rule over Hungary, which Emperor Franz Joseph had instituted after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. The territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Hungary was restored, as was the old historic constitution of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Hungarian political leaders had two main goals during the negotiations. One was to regain the traditional status (both legal and political) of the Hungarian state, which had been lost after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. The other was to restore the series of reform laws (the so-called April Laws) of the revolutionary parliament of 1848, which were based on the 12 points that established modern civil and political rights and economic and societal reforms in Hungary. The April Laws of the Hungarian revolutionary parliament (with the exception of the laws based on the 9th and 10th points) were restored by Franz Joseph.

Under the Compromise, the lands of the House of Habsburg were reorganized as a real union between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, headed by a single monarch who reigned as Emperor of Austria in the Austrian half of the empire, and as King of Hungary in the Kingdom of Hungary in the Kingdom of Hungary. The Cisleithanian (Austrian) and Transleithanian (Hungarian) states were governed by separate parliaments and prime ministers. The two countries conducted unified diplomatic and defence policies. For these purposes, common ministries of foreign affairs and defence were maintained under the monarch's direct authority, as was a third finance ministry responsible only for financing the two common portfolios.

The restoration of the Hungarian parliament

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 put an end to the personal union between Austria and Hungary, which had existed since the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, and established a real union between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. The compromise created a dual monarchy, with a single monarch who reigned as Emperor of Austria in the Austrian half of the empire, and as King of Hungary in the Kingdom of Hungary. The Austrian and Hungarian states were governed by separate parliaments and prime ministers. However, the two countries conducted unified diplomatic and defence policies, with "common" ministries of foreign affairs and defence maintained under the monarch's direct authority. A third finance ministry was also established, responsible only for financing the two "common" portfolios.

The restoration of the series of reform laws (the so-called April Laws) of the revolutionary parliament of 1848

The restoration of the April Laws was one of the two main goals of Hungarian political leaders during the negotiations of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. The April Laws were a set of statutes enacted by Lajos Kossuth, which aimed to transform the Kingdom of Hungary into a modern parliamentary democracy and nation-state. They were approved by the Hungarian Diet in March 1848 and signed by King Ferdinand V in April of the same year.

The April Laws completely abolished all privileges of the Hungarian nobility. Hungary became the third country in Continental Europe to establish legislation for democratic parliamentary elections, following France and Belgium. The new suffrage law (Act V of 1848) replaced the feudal estates-based parliament with a democratic representative parliament, offering the broadest suffrage rights in Europe at that time.

The April Laws also included provisions for Hungarian control over its national guard, national budget, and foreign policy, as well as the abolition of serfdom. Additionally, they established freedom of the press, accountable ministries in Buda and Pest, an annual parliamentary session in Pest, civil and religious equality before the law, the formation of a national guard, joint sharing of tax burdens, the abolition of socage, juries and representation on an equal basis, the freeing of political prisoners, and union with Transylvania.

In 1848, the new Austrian monarch, Francis Joseph, arbitrarily "revoked" the April Laws without any legal authority. This act was unconstitutional, as the laws had been signed by his uncle, King Ferdinand I, and remained in force. However, during the negotiations of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise in 1867, Francis Joseph accepted the April Laws of the revolutionary parliament (with the exception of the laws based on the 9th and 10th points).

The restoration of the old historic constitution of the Kingdom of Hungary

The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereignty and status of the Kingdom of Hungary, which had been under the rule of the Austrian Empire since the 1526 Battle of Mohács. The Compromise put an end to the 18-year-long military dictatorship and absolutist rule over Hungary that Emperor Franz Joseph had instituted after the 1848 revolution.

The old historic constitution of the Kingdom of Hungary was restored, along with the Hungarian parliament, which had been the supreme legislative power in Hungary since the 12th century. The Hungarian legal and judicial systems were also restored, and the country's territorial integrity was maintained.

The Compromise established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states, headed by a single monarch who reigned as Emperor of Austria in the Austrian half of the empire, and as King of Hungary in the Kingdom of Hungary. The two countries conducted unified diplomatic and defence policies, with "common" ministries of foreign affairs and defence maintained under the monarch's direct authority.

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 was considered a betrayal of the vital Hungarian interests and the achievements of the 1848 revolution by Hungarian society. It was unpopular among ethnic Hungarian voters, who did not generally support the ruling Liberal party in Hungarian parliamentary elections. The political maintenance of the Compromise was, therefore, mostly a result of the popularity of the pro-compromise ruling Liberal Party among ethnic minority voters in the Kingdom of Hungary.

The restoration of the Hungarian legal and judicial system

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, also known as the Ausgleich, established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. The Compromise put an end to the 18-year-long military dictatorship and absolutist rule over Hungary, which Emperor Franz Joseph had instituted after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. The territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Hungary was restored, and the agreement also restored the old historic constitution of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Hungarian legal and judicial system was restored in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary. The traditionally independent and separate judicial system of Hungary was also restored. The Hungarian legal system and Hungarian laws were restored in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Hungarian parliament was re-established, as it had been the supreme legislative power in Hungary since the 12th century. The Hungarian parliament was the most important political assembly since the 12th century, which emerged to the position of the supreme legislative institution in the Kingdom of Hungary from the 1290s.

The restoration of the Hungarian language in the administration and education

The restoration of the Hungarian language in administration and education was a key demand of the Hungarians from the Austrian Empire.

The Hungarians' demands for linguistic reforms were driven by a desire to regain the traditional status of the Hungarian state and restore the series of reform laws established by the revolutionary parliament of 1848. These laws, known as the April Laws, were based on twelve points that established modern civil and political rights and economic and societal reforms in Hungary.

The Hungarian language had played a secondary role to Latin and German, the primary languages of education, administration, the judiciary, and literature, until the end of the eighteenth century when a standardized literary language was developed. The Hungarian Revolution of 1848, led by Lajos Kossuth, further emphasized the importance of the Hungarian language in administration and governance. Kossuth, a lawyer, orator, and journalist, advocated for democratic ideas, responsible government, and the extension of suffrage. He also protested against the "colonial" status of Hungary within the Austrian Empire.

The April Laws, approved by the Hungarian Diet in March 1848, included provisions for the use of the Hungarian language in administration and education. The laws stipulated that Hungarian would be obligatory in the administration and education, with Parliament to be elected every three years and meet annually. These laws were revoked by the young Austrian monarch, Francis Joseph, but were later restored by Emperor Franz Joseph, who also approved the use of Hungarian as the language of administration in Hungary in 1844.

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, further solidified the role of the Hungarian language. The Compromise restored the old historic constitution of the Kingdom of Hungary and re-established the Hungarian parliament, which had been the supreme legislative power in Hungary since the twelfth century. The Hungarian legal system and Hungarian laws were restored in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary, and the traditionally independent and separate judicial system of Hungary was reinstated.

The Compromise also addressed the issue of language in common diplomatic and military affairs, which were to be managed by delegations from the Imperial Council and the Hungarian parliament. While there was no common citizenship or passport, and each part of the monarchy had its own government and prime minister, the use of Hungarian as the official language in the Kingdom of Hungary was secured.

The Hungarian Attestation of the language's early history begins with place names in Arab, Persian, and Byzantine documents. The earliest surviving coherent text in Old Hungarian is the Funeral Sermon and Prayer, dated to 1192, which begins with the words, "Latiatuc feleym zumtuchel mic vogmuc." The first Hungarian translation of the Bible, the Hussite Bible, dates to 1416, and the first printed book written in Hungarian was published in 1533.

The Hungarian language has a rich history and played a significant role in the demands and negotiations between the Hungarians and the Austrian Empire, ultimately leading to the establishment of the dual monarchy and the recognition of Hungarian as the official language in the Kingdom of Hungary.

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