| |
| b. Hungary |
| |
| Unlike Austria, Hungary remained almost entirely agricultural in the first half of the 19th century. Landlords increased work-service obligations of their serfs to produce more grain for export. | 1 |
| |
| 1825 |
| |
| Francis I, facing a financial crisis, attempted to supplement his income and his army by demanding troops and subsidies directly from the counties in Hungary—thus avoiding the need to call a Diet. However, the counties refused and forced Francis to call a Diet and promise triennial meetings and exclusive rights to grant taxes and recruits. | 2 |
| The Hungarian Diet consisted of an upper house (Table of Magnates) of great nobles (approximately 130), certain ecclesiastical dignitaries, and high officeholders. The lower house (Table of Deputies) was recruited from the roughly 700,000 members of the gentry, with each district electing two representatives; it included two members representing all the cities and delegates from the Diet of the kingdom of Croatia. This Diet helped to further the cause of Magyar nationalism. | 3 |
| |
| 1830 |
| |
| The Hungarian Diet passed a law requiring government officials and lawyers to be able to officiate in Hungarian. | 4 |
| |
| 1830 |
| |
| István Széchenyi's (1792–1860) Hitel was published. It outlined Széchenyi's belief in the need for a liberal government and a policy of industrial development in Hungary and was inspired by Széchenyi's love of Hungary; he remained loyal to the Habsburg monarchy. Francis Deák (1803–1876) urged a similar course but stressed the need for Hungarian autonomy within the empire. | 5 |
| |
| 1841 |
| |
| Pesti Hirlap (Pest Journal) was founded by Louis Kossuth. Kossuth advocated personal and national liberties including freedom of religion and speech, equality before the law and, above all, national liberty. Kossuth advocated a nation-state under Hungarian control, thus clashing with other nationalities within the Hungarian borders. | 6 |
| |
| 1844 |
| |
| Hungarian nationalists put through a law requiring Hungarian to be taught in Croatian secondary schools. This law underscored the growing nationalism in Hungary and the tension between Hungarian supremacy and the national interests of other ethnic groups such as the Croats. | 7 |
| Growing concern over nationalism, economic development, and liberalism all helped to fuel a revolutionary situation in 1848. Elections of 1847 returned a large liberal majority to the Table of Deputies, but the Table of Magnates resisted demands for freedom of the press and of religion, and the abolition of serfdom. (See Hungary) | 8 |
| |
| |
