Aster revolution

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The aster revolution ( Hungarian Őszirózsás forradalom ; German also autumn rose revolution ) is the name given to the demonstrations, riots and strikes by soldiers and civilians that took place in Budapest and other Hungarian cities from October 28 to 31, 1918.

Hungarian Revolutionaries (October 31, 1918)

The name is derived from the asters that soldiers pinned to their hats instead of the removed cap roses and national emblems of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces and which became their symbol.

The operations

In the course of the beginning of the disintegration of the Habsburg monarchy in the final phase of the First World War , the Hungarian government under Prime Minister Sándor Wekerle, with the consent of King Charles IV , terminated the real union with Austria at the end of October 1918 in mid-October 1918 . In October the Hungarian National Council was formed , an opposition alliance against the policy still determined by Wekerle's long-time predecessor István Tisza . The fact that the king appointed János Hadik as the new prime minister on October 27, 1918 did nothing to calm the people who were disappointed by the defeat in the war and dissatisfied with the difficult living conditions.

In the absence of state authority, the military were temporarily able to conduct independent politics: On the night of October 31, 1918, military units that had joined the National Council occupied the capital Budapest. King Charles IV. Had then against the resistance of the old Hungarian leadership to Andrássy previous opposition Mihály Károlyi appoint as prime minister. On the same day, Tisza was shot dead by soldiers in his villa.

Further development

Károlyi formed a bourgeois-democratic government. Two weeks later, King Charles IV renounced any share of state affairs in the Kingdom of Hungary on November 11, 1918 as Emperor of Austria and on November 13, 1918 . Károlyi then founded the Hungarian People's Republic .

The new government failed to keep the territory of the pro forma existing kingdom together. Troops from neighboring Romania and Czechoslovakia created territorial facts in the Hungarian-Romanian War with the occupation of Pozsony (Pressburg), now Bratislava , and Kolozsvar (Cluj-Napoca), now Cluj-Napoca , which anticipated international regulations. The Croatian National Assembly made the decision to join the new Kingdom of Yugoslavia .

A significant part of old Hungary came under French, Romanian and Serbian control. These territorial losses led to the overthrow of the Károlyi government after a few months. A Hungarian counterpart to the stab- in- the-back legend made him and his ministers responsible for the fall of the country.

Representatives of the Little Entente demanded more and more territories from the government, which ultimately led them to resign on March 20, 1919 and transfer power to the proletariat of the peoples of Hungary . At that time, the leading social democratic and communist politicians were already preparing the formation of a Soviet-style Soviet republic in the Budapest collective prisons. On March 21, 1919, they seized power under Béla Kun .

The aster revolution in detail

The revolution began with the establishment of the Nemzeti Tanács (Hungarian for 'National Council') on the night of October 23, 1918. The council, chaired by Károlyi, demanded in a 12-point manifesto the immediate end of the war and the granting of complete independence , introducing profound democratic reforms, as well as reconciliation with nations and territorial integrity. The demonstrators took over the goals of the National Council and demanded that Károlyi be appointed Prime Minister. This formed with the representatives of the three parties of the National Council, the Függetlenségi és 48-as Párt (' Party of Independence and the 48-er '), the Polgári Radikális Párt ('Civil-Radical Party') and the Magyarországi Szociáldemokrata Párt (' Hungarian Social Democratic Party ') a new government.

On October 27, 1918, Emperor Charles I (or Charles IV, King of Hungary) appointed Count János Hadik as Prime Minister, which was followed by mass protests by the population. The protesting masses demanded the appointment of the chairman of the Hungarian National Council, Count Károlyi, as head of government. In the years before, Károlyi had made a name for himself as an opponent of the war, campaigning for the liberalization of the electoral law and a solution to the land question.

At that time the Budapest garrison was subordinate to the soldiers' council. In the afternoon and night of October 30th, the units of the Soldiers' Council occupied strategic points (train stations, switchboards, banks, bridges, post office, military depot) in Budapest. In doing so, they followed the instructions of the National Council, although there were also self-initiated actions. The soldiers and sailors turned against their officers, disarmed them and freed political prisoners. They replaced their badges of rank with white asters , which they stuck on their uniforms and in the barrel of their rifles. On the morning of October 31, Joseph August of Austria , who had been given royal authority, withdrew the appointment of János Hadik three days earlier and appointed Mihály Károlyi Prime Minister.

Mihály Károlyi (marked by a black x above his head) during a speech in front of the Hungarian Parliament building (November 16, 1918)

The rulers in Vienna reacted to the pressure from the street by entrusting Károlyi with the formation of the cabinet on October 31, which enabled a peaceful transition to the bourgeois social democratic government. On November 2nd, the garrison officers took the oath of the new government.

Defense Ministry announcement of November 2, 1918

(Translation of the adjacent poster)

November 2, 1918

Announcement

1.) It is extremely regrettable that rioting individuals have taken advantage of the events of the past great days to commit theft, robbery and looting . The objects obtained illegally are collected in large stocks at relevant locations. I have come to know that there are such individuals who use forged identity cards or powers of attorney of the National Council to amass goods and then sell them at high prices. In order to avoid misuse, it is publicly declared that the said objects may only be passed on after presenting a power of attorney with a picture of the military police .

2.) It is prohibited to buy or sell items that are suspected of having been circulated illegally. Anyone who offers or buys such goods must be handed over to the police immediately or arrested if the circumstances permit.

3.) It has happened that certain impostors collect in the name of the National Council or other authorities. Furthermore, some, to the detriment of the institution of the state, have distributed forged documents of the authorities, movables from the (military) storerooms of the treasury and military equipment. I therefore declare that goods, food and other items from the treasury store may only be delivered by someone who has been given a power of attorney relating to them that has been personally signed by the Minister of Defense or the Secretary of State of Defense and who can identify himself with this written power of attorney .

Friedrich MP , State Secretary in the Ministry of Defense

As a result, King Karl renounced on November 13, as two days earlier in German Austria, any share in state affairs. On November 16, 1918, the Hungarian Parliament transferred supreme state power to the Károlyis government. On the same day, the Hungarian People's Republic or Hungarian Soviet Republic was proclaimed.

Social backgrounds

The social development in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the century was marked by strong social contrasts. On the one hand, a narrow upper class reaped the profits of industrialization and contributed to technical and cultural progress. On the other hand, the majority of the population suffered from poverty, poor education and a poor health system. For example, only half of those born reached the age of five.

During the First World War, the social situation of the population hardened drastically. This can be seen, for example, in the development of wages during the war years. In relation to the real wages of a factory worker in 1913/14, the wage level fell in 1918 to 53.4%. State officials received only a third (32.9%) of their wages before the outbreak of war.

While the dividends of big business rose (e.g. between 1916 and 1917 in mining by 38%), the common population was faced with existential problems. In the first half of 1918 the bread ration per person was reduced from 100 to 50 grams. When the basic supply of essential goods was no longer guaranteed, strikes broke out across the country .

In January 1918, the munitions workers in Vienna began a general strike that spread to Budapest and provincial towns in Hungary. In the following months mutinies broke out, such as B. in May in Pécs , which were joined by armed miners. In the autumn of that year, the demands of the starving population for land and for a fundamental expansion of civil liberties became more radical.

The number of war opponents in Hungary had also increased during the war years. In 1914 the government still had the support of a broad party front, including the extra-parliamentary Hungarian Social Democratic Party (Magyarországi Szociáldemokrata Párt, MSZDP). From 1916 onwards, the MSZDP, the Civil Radical Regional Party (Országos Polgári Radikális Part) , founded in 1914, and the Small Farmers' Party (Kisgazdapárt) stood up for the end of the war.

Domestic tensions in the country were also exacerbated by the question of nationalities. Although only about half of the population of the Hungarian Kingdom were ethnic Magyars, only five of the 143 members of the Reichstag were of other nationalities. They saw the opportunity for political and cultural independence in founding their own nation states.

The composition of parliament also shows the lack of representation of workers (no representatives) and peasants (two representatives). Only 12% of the population over the age of 21 were eligible to vote, including no women. The serious social inequality led to a strong influx of trade unions, left parties and workers' organizations.

When the defeat in the war became apparent and national forces in both multi-ethnic states of the dual monarchy began to prepare for the establishment of independent states, this went hand in hand with the breakup of Austria-Hungary and its two constituent states.

Résumé

Translation of the book cover: Song of the Dead about the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy
Cover: Mihály Biró (1919)

During Károlyi's reign, the population polarized and radicalized. Various paramilitary groups were formed. Right-wing forces fought for the restoration of the previous regime, but communist associations in particular gained strength. Károlyi had armed groups in both political camps banned, including the Communist Party , which was founded in 1918 and whose leaders were arrested.

Looting was combated by the still functioning authorities, which resulted in many deaths. More than 100 people died in Eperies , 134 victims in Muraköz , 68 in the Banat communities of Kula , Melence and Törökbecse and 90 in Bihar county. In Facsád in Krassó-Szörény county , bombs were dropped from an airplane on looters Farmers thrown off, killing 104 people. In Jósikafalva in County Kolozs there were 40 victims and in Munkács seven people died. In Látrány in Somogy county and in Fejér county there were also 7 deaths. In Miskolc were arrested 200 in Nyíregyháza 1000. There were also 75 fatalities there. 27 looters were arrested in Galgóc , Upper Hungary . In total there were around 590 deaths related to the revolutionary events during this period.

State institutions, in particular the army, were weakened and in disrepair, so that territorial integrity could not be defended. The lack of supplies, which increased during the war, became even more serious as a result of the work interruption. Because of the loss of the coal mines, the heating of the houses was catastrophically poor in the winter of 1918-1919.

Critical representation from the right

In the turmoil of the revolution, numerous laws were broken in Budapest, as in the rest of the country. In the Lánchíd csata ('Battle of the Chain Bridge') on October 28, three people were killed and around 55 injured. In his book Északi szél ('North Wind'), Zsigmond Remenyik writes a report on the evening of October 30th:

“A szomszéd ház kapujában két siheder egy fiatal tisztet rohant meg. Az egyik sihedernek nagy konyhakés volt a kezében. Fenyegetően ordítoztak. Egy offered emelkedett. Leütötték a sapkát a kis hadnagy fejéről. Szurtos kezek kaptak a nyakához. A konyhakés a gallérjánál mozgott ... levágták róla a csillagot. Az érdemkereszt és a nagy vitézségi érem összecsörrent a mellén. A csőcselék röhögött. A kis hadnagy födetlen fővel állt a kör közepén, és arca krétafehér volt. Nem szólt semmit, nem is védekezett, csak a válla rángatódzott félszegen. Aztán ügyefogyott mozdulattal, mint a sírni készülő gyerek, a szeme elé kapta kifordított bal kezét. Szegény kis hadnagy! Ekkor láttam meg, hogy jobb karja tőből hiányzik. "

“At the gate of the neighboring house, two youths chased a young officer. One of the teenagers had a large kitchen knife in his hand. They shouted at him. A stick rose. They knocked the cap off the little lieutenant's head. They grabbed his neck with ragged hands. The kitchen knife moved on his collar ... they cut off the stars. The Cross of Merit and the great medal of bravery clinked on his chest. The baggage laughed. The little lieutenant stood in the middle of the group, his head bare, and his face white as a sheet. He didn't say anything, didn't even defend himself, only his shoulders trembled with fear. Then he held his left hand in front of his eyes in one awkward movement like a child who is starting to cry. Poor little lieutenant! Then I saw that his right arm was missing from the shoulder down. "

"October 31-én a délutáni és esti órákban Tisza István Hermina (…) úti villájába a délután folyamán fegyveres katonák hatolnak be (hogy kik, máig sem sikerieft megnyugtatóan tisztájáltáltós ísznyugtatóan tisztájáző tisztázós ő tisztáző éltázní).

“On October 31st, in the afternoon and evening hours (…) armed soldiers broke into the villa of István Tisza on Hermina (…) Street (who has not been able to explain satisfactorily until today), locked those guarding the Villa deployed gendarmes and shot Tisza after a brief exchange of words. "

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Anikó Kovács-Bertrand: The Hungarian revisionism after the First World War. The journalistic struggle against the Trianon Peace Treaty (1918–1931) . Verlag Oldenbourg, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-486-56289-4 , p. 39
  2. ^ György Dalos: Hungary in a nutshell. History of my country . CH Beck, Munich 2004. p. 120
  3. ^ György Dalos: Hungary in a nutshell. History of my country . CH Beck, Munich 2004, p. 123
  4. ↑ a b c Száray, Miklós; Kaposi, József: Történelem IV. Középiskolák, 12. évfolyam. Nemzeti Könyvkiadó, Budapest 2005. p. 23 (History textbook for secondary schools)
  5. ↑ Gräfe, Karl-Heinz: From the aster revolution to the Soviet republic. Hungary 1918/19. In: UTOPIE Kreativ, H. 168 (October 2004), pp. 885-900; P. 888
  6. ↑ Gräfe, Karl-Heinz: From the aster revolution to the Soviet republic. Hungary 1918/19. In: UTOPIE Kreativ, H. 168 (October 2004), pp. 885-900; P. 889.
  7. ↑ a b Gräfe, Karl-Heinz: From the aster revolution to the Soviet republic. Hungary 1918/19. In: UTOPIE Kreativ, H. 168 (October 2004), pp. 885-900; P. 886
  8. ↑ Száray, Miklós; Kaposi, József: Történelem IV. Középiskolák, 12. évfolyam. Nemzeti Könyvkiadó, Budapest 2005. p. 25 (History textbook for secondary schools)
  9. ↑ Gräfe, Karl-Heinz: From the aster revolution to the Soviet republic. Hungary 1918/19. In: UTOPIE Kreativ, H. 168 (October 2004), pp. 885-900; P. 887
  10. ^ Janos Hauszmann: Hungary. From the Middle Ages to the present . Verlag Friedrich Pustet Regensburg, Südosteuropa Gesellschaft München, 2004. p. 212
  11. ↑ Dalos, György: Hungary in a nutshell. History of my country. CH Beck, Munich 2004. p. 122
  12. ↑ Siklós András: Magyarország 1918-1919 - Események, képek, dokumentumok . Kossuth Köyvkiadó / Magyar Helikon, 1978, ISBN 963-09-1097-7 , pp. 127–128
  13. ↑ Az Est 1918. október 30-i tudósítása
  14. ↑ a b Siklós András: Magyarország 1918–1919 - Események, képek, dokumentumok . Kossuth Köyvkiadó / Magyar Helikon, 1978, ISBN 963-09-1097-7 , p. 113