On January 26, 1699, the Peace of Karlóca (Karlowitz) was signed.Continue reading
175 years ago, on March 31, 1849, the Spring Campaign began, marking a glorious period in the Hungarian War of Independence. The objective of operations conducted across the country was to drive the imperial troops out of Hungary.
Famous battles, such as those fought at Isaszeg (approximately 30 km from Budapest), Komárom (in northwestern Hungary), and the liberation of Buda, are associated with the campaign. The leaders of the campaign included prominent military officers such as Artur Görgei, György Klapka, the Polish-born Józef Bem (Napoleon’s former artillery officer), and János Damjanich, who suffered martyrdom at Arad (in present-day Romania) in October 1849.
General Artur Görgei (1818-1916). Picture: Wikipedia
According to Magyar Nemzet, the Spring Campaign is dazzling even by today’s standards,
as the Hungarian army, created entirely from its own resources in a matter of months, achieved a series of victories against the experienced, much better trained and equipped army of one of the strongest European empires.
It is important to note that the campaign also praises the tactical genius of the generals fighting on the Hungarian side, as victory, according to the basic principles of warfare, demands two, or rather three times as much overwhelming force.
First Battle of Komárom by Mór Than. Picture: Wikipedia
An eminent figure of Hungarian literature, Mór Jókai (1825-1904), highlights in his novel The Baron’s Sons, set in the period,
It was not a fight, not a battle, but a duel between ten thousand and ten thousand men […]”
The significance of the glorious Spring Campaign is substantial. The Hungarian forces liberated Hungary, Transylvania, and southern areas of present-day Serbia, close to Hungary, from the Habsburgs. Following the series of victories, the Hungarian command faced only one question: should they continue towards Pest-Buda or Vienna?
Via Magyar Nemzet; Featured Image: Wikipedia