CÍMLAP
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TARTALOM, INTRODUCTION |
Tartalom
Introduction
Chapter I.
A Retrospect - Constitution of Austria. - Annexation of Hungary. - Hungary
under the Habsburgs. - Oppression of the Crown Lands. - Hungary since 1815.
- The Diets of 1823 and 1833. - Crimes and Follies of Magyarism. - Louis
Kossuth's Début. - His Career. - His Parliamentary Reports. - Mr. Kossuth
persecuted by the Government. - His Trial and Imprisonment. - His Election
into the Lower House
Chapter II.
Dismay of the Government. - Demands of the Opposition. - Diet of 1847. -
Abolition of Servitude. - Introduction of the Magyar Language. - The
Revolution of 1848. - Ferdinand of Austria. - Proceedings of the Diet. -
The Hungarian Deputation. - Formation of a Cabinet. - Riots at Pesth. -
Count Louis Batthyanyi. - Riots at Presburg. - Mr. Kossuth's Position. -
The Austrian Army. - Court Intrigues. - Joseph Jellachich. - His Intrigues.
- Manifesto against him. - The Servian Insurrection. - Kossuth's Speech on
the State of the Nation - Batthyanyi's Loyalty. - A Last Appeal. - The
Croatian Invasion
Chapter III.
Composition of Jellachich's Army. - Evil Repute of the Croats. - Measures
of Defence. - Teleky's Retreat. - The Palatine. - His Flight. - Lamberg's
Mission. - Riot at Pesth. - Assassination of Lamberg. - Skirmish at Sukuro.
- Breach of the Armistice. - Jellachich the Alter Ego. - The Vienna Riots.
- Appointment of Prince Windishgrätz. - Battle of Shwechat. - Arthur
Görgey. - The Hungarian Noble Guard. - Kossuth's Agitation
Chapter IV.
Prince Windishgrätz. - His Plan of Operations. - Delusions. - The 2nd
December, 1848. - A Declaration of Rights. - Muster of the Belligerents. -
Windishgrätz at Presburg. - Retreat from Raab. - Battle of Moor. -
Mendacious Bulletins. - Retreat to Debreczin. - Arrest of Count Batthyanyi.
- Combat at Teteny. - Occupation of Buda and Pesth
Chapter V.
Windishgrätz at Pesth. - Joseph Bern. - Events in Transylvania. - Massacres
at Kis - Enyed and Zalathna. - Combats at Csucsa, Sibo, and Decs. - Capture
of Klausenburg and Bisztritz. - Battle of Herrmanstadt. - Mutinous Conduct
of Görgey. - His Opposition to Mr. Kossuth. - His Treatment of the Austrian
Prisoners. - Secret Motives of his Conduct
Chapter VI.
Görgey at Waitzen. - His General Orders. - His Moderation. - His Retreat
from Waitzen. - Combat at Turczek. - Skirmish at Igló - Guyon in the
Branitzko. - George Klapka. - Henry Dembinski. - Klapka's Confusion. -
Combat of Torna Alya. - Dembinski and Görgey. - Countermarching. - Battle
of Kapolna. - Dembinski's Clemency. - Mutiny
Chapter VII.
Delays. - Hatvan and Gödöllö. - Operations in Transylvania. - Close of the
Winter Campaign. - Military Executions. - Treatment of Prisoners. - The
Constitution of the 4th March, 1849. - A Choice of Evils. - Declaration of
Independence. - Discontents. - Conciliatory Measures. - Schemes. - Görgey's
Choice. - General Hentzi. - Siege of Buda. - Treason. - A Crisis. - The
Appeal to Russia. - The Russian Intervention
Chapter VIII.
The Russian Invasion. - Kossuth's Measures. - Impostures. - Terrorism. -
The Palatine Hussars. - Positions of the Armies. - The Crusade. - Battle of
Pered. - Combat at Acz. - Klapka's Duplicity. - The Flight from Pesth. -
Haynau at Pesth. - Battles at Komorn
Chapter IX.
The Beginning of the End. - A Last Chance. - Battle of Temesvar. - Arad. -
Kossuth and Görgey. - Kossuth's Abdication. - Negotiations. - Vilagos. -
Görgey's last Treason. - Bem and Guyon. - Komorn. - Klapka's Capitulation.
- His Apology. - The 6th October, 1849. - The Bloody Assize. - The End of
the War
Introduction
Of the wars which sprang from the revolutionary impulse of the year 1848, none was so fatal in its fury, so important in its results, and so interesting, even to the least political, among the nations of Europe, as the struggle of the Hungarians for independence. The contests of the belligerent Germans and Danes in Holstein and Shleswig were longer, but their decision was withheld rather by the artificial means of armistices and negotiations than by the tenacity of purpose of the combatants. The Shleswig war commenced and terminated in the manoeuvres of diplomacy, which are naturally slow, temporizing, and of distant and doubtful result. The war in Hungary, which began later than the Danish war, and which ended sooner, had no pause for rest, consideration, or mercy: it swept from event to event to the goal to which its component elements, rather than the wishes of the antagonistic parties, were tending. And while in Shleswig, the principal means of attack and defence consisted in foreign troops, whose sympathies were not with the cause they championed, and while even the native forces were commanded by foreign generals, hired for the purpose, the Hungarian war was conducted by the natives of the country, with the assistance only of a small number of sympathizers and exiles, while its fatal end was hastened by the active interference of a third power, and consummated by the despondency of some and the treachery of others of the native leaders.
The Hungarian war, though most commented on, was least understood; for so difficult has the study of the political questions which affect the east of Europe always been to those accustomed to deal with the more attractive, because more conspicuous, affairs of the west, that this war, of unappreciated motives, uncertain beginnings, and of a mysterious end, has uniformly been treated by those only whose prejudices or interests disqualified them for the task. The series of events which commenced with the invasion of Hungary by the Ban Jellachich, and which ended with General Gorgey's surrender at Vilagos, has come to be a popular myth rather than an important, interesting, and fateful section of the history of this century. Such a state of things must needs be detrimental to a just appreciation of the political condition of Europe, now and hereafter. I have, consequently, endeavoured in these pages, disinterestedly and impartially, to trace the causes and record the events of the Croatian Invasion, of the War of Independence, and of the Russian Intervention in the affairs of Austria and Hungary.