1848 Revolution Memorial Day in Hungary

Every year on March 15, Hungarians celebrate one of the most important national dates - the anniversary of the 1848 revolution. On this day, back in 1848, in the town of Pest (part of modern Budapest), the “Hungarian Spring” began, the so-called bourgeois uprising, the liberation movement of local residents for independence from the rule of the Habsburg dynasty (Austria), which later resulted in a military conflict against Austria and her like-minded people. Despite the fact that the rebellion was suppressed, it played an important role in the country gaining freedom. The main conditions of the revolutionaries were freedom of the press, the formation of a parliament in Pest, the creation of a state bank and a personal army. The Hungarians also demanded the abolition of serfdom and the removal of foreign soldiers from their territory. After negotiations between the rebels and the monarch Franz Joseph II, most of the demands put forward were satisfied. This was noted in the “April Laws” signed by the emperor. The head of the first Hungarian government was count and part-time politician Lajos Battyany. Despite the bloodless nature of the innovations, the freedom of Hungary was unfavorable to the Emperor of Austria, for this reason, Francis Joseph II soon turned to the Russian Tsar for help: to suppress the Hungarian revolutionaries. The confrontation of interests quickly escalated into a military conflict. In the summer of 1849, the freedom movement was suppressed. 30 army generals and 5 civilian leaders were sentenced to death. Among them was the first head of an independent state, L. Battyani. Hungary was able to partially gain independence only 2 decades later, when an Agreement was signed to transform the Habsburg Monarchy into the dual empire of Austria-Hungary. Austria and Hungary were recognized as independent parts of one country. The main role in governing the state was played by the Austrian monarch, who simultaneously held the title of King of Hungary. This date began to be celebrated as a national holiday in Hungary after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire occurred, this event occurred in 1918. Every year on March 15, national flags are hung in all cities and all kinds of festive events are organized.