The Revolution of 1848 – April Laws

1, The events that predecessed the outbreak of the revolution

2, The results of the Revolution, the April Laws
3, History of the first constitution after the War of Independence

Timeline
1830-1848 – Age of Reform
1833 – The Stages by Széchenyi
Reform diets – 1832-36, 1839-40, 1843-44, 1847-48
15 March 1848 – Revolution in Pest-Buda
11 April 1848 – April Laws
1849-1867 - Neoabsolutism
1867 - Compromise

1. Before the Revolution

- Before 1830 – absolutism without Hungarian parliament
- Medieval-like features of the Hungarian state, economy and society
(serfdom, tax exemption of the nobility, not enough capital, backward
industry)
- By the 1830s the first generation of reformers appear (István Széchenyi,
Ferenc Deák, Ferenc Kölcsey), Széchenyi comes up with the first reform
ideas – Stages – 12 points that should be fulfilled (emancipation of serfs,
improvement of transportation, diet in Pest)
- By 1840s the reformer are more radical, the ideologist is Lajos Kossuth
(equality before the law, representational parliament, responsible
government, compulsory liberation of serfs, freedom of press)
 - The aim: capitalist transformation of the society and economy of
Hungary and constitutional monarchy, end serfdom and liberties – no
results via diets
- Revolutionary wave in 1848 – 15 March, Pest-Buda, March Youth, 12
points, envoy of the diet to Vienna

2. The Achievements of the Revolution – The April Laws or the first

constitution
- In Vienna – 18th March, Lajos Batthyány appointed prime
minister,established his coalition government with Kossuth, Széchenyi,
Deák, Eszterházy etc.
- Meanwhile in Pozsony the last feudal diet started to codify the
programme of the opposition – liberal laws were accepted, so the most of
the 12 points were consolidated by law – ‘lawful revolution’
- Ferdinand V sanctioned the first constitution on 11 April – hence the
name April Laws
- Achievements:
o Tithe have been abolished
o Hungary became a constitutional monarchy – king with limited
power
o Internal independence, responsible government, Viennese
chamber and Chancellery abolished, absolutism ended.
o Parliament would be altered into a two-chamber one in Pest-Buda,
after elections (upper house would be kept, lower house would be
elected on the basis of the new law), sessions – every year,
representatives for 3 years
o New right to vote: based on property, with census, nobility could
keep their right to elect, intellectual also, over 20 (altogether 7-9%
of the population)
o General taxation introduced
 o Freedoms like that of speech, religion introduced, censorship
abolished, freedom of the press
o Equal rights with nationals
o Reunion with Transylvania proclaimed
o Proportionate public charge
o It guaranteed liberal rights, parliamentary democracy, laid the
foundation of a modernized society, capitalist economy.
- Liberation and emancipation of serfs – important issue before spring
works in the fields, nobility granted the plots to the peasants without
compensation, compensation was planned in the forthcoming period later
halted by the war
- Problematic issues – foreign affairs as the ruler is common; financial
issues, army – should we have our own, how? Hungarian soldiers are in
the imperial army; nationalities are treated equal as citizens, but did not
gain collective rights – so dissatisfied; liberation of serfs did not concern
every serf just the ones who had their plots – later, in autumn new decrees
appear to solve the problem

3. What happened to the first constitution?

- Representative elections were held, later war of independence started –
meanwhile Francis Josepf elected emperor, who did not sign the
Hungarian constitution
- When the war was closed, Hungarians defeated all the new laws were
revoked by the Habsburgs and neo-absolutism was introduced. The only
law remained in practice was on the liberation of serfs
- Bloody revenge
- Return to lawful government only in 1867, after the Compromise