April Laws

The so-called March laws (Slovak Marcové ( konštitučné ) zakony ) or April laws (Hungarian Áprilisi törvények ) were 31 laws that were adopted on March 15, 1848 at the beginning of the Hungarian Revolution 1848/1849 by the Hungarian parliament in Pressburg ( Bratislava) and on 11 April 1848 entered into force. Was through these laws (s) implemented the following resolutions in the Kingdom of Hungary:

  • Abolition of serfdom ( but only for small-scale farmers )
  • Introduction of general taxation
  • Abolition of the inalienable of the soil
  • Removal of certain institutions that symbolized the supremacy of Austria in Hungary
  • Introduction of suffrage (only ) for the wealthy and educated people (6% of the population)
  • Choice of the first independent Hungarian government of Vienna; Imperial ( Austrian ) organs were only allowed to have a say military, finance, and foreign policy in the fields, and there was practically an Austro -Hungarian personal union
  • Adoption of legislative articles about the annual sessions of the Parliament in Pest
  • Restoration of press freedom; Abolition of censorship forever
  • Proclamation of universal human and civil rights
  • Statement of the Hungarian to the only official language

Issues of non - Magyars in the Kingdom, which formed about 60% of Hungary's population without Croatia (or 64 % with Croatia ) were not treated, and many rights that resulted from this document, benefited only the Magyars.

Prehistory

Since November 1847 a session of the Hungarian parliament in Bratislava took place. Main demand was the abolition of serfdom. However, the nobility had no interest in the enforcement of radical reforms.

On March 13, 1848 in Vienna, revolution broke out. Czech nationalists presented on March 11 exposures to the nobility. Emperor Ferdinand I ( as the Hungarian King Ferdinand V. ) had fear Prince Metternich dismissed and promised a constitution.

The news of the revolution in Vienna and riots in Pest were the reason to believe the law in March 1848. The design was created by Lajos Kossuth. On April 11, 1848, King Ferdinand signed the law in the Primate of Pressburg.

Follow

The resulting from these laws discontent on the one of Vienna, on the other hand the non- Magyars and the excluded of the new rights ( poorer population, some farmers, etc.) were the main trigger of the immediately following uprisings in many areas of the Kingdom of Hungary ( civil war ) and a subsequent war of the Kingdom of Hungary against Austria (from winter 1848) and against the peoples living in the Kingdom of Hungary and Austria supportive Croats, Slovaks, Serbs, Romanians, Ruthenians and Germans in Romania. See, for example, the revolution of 1848/ 49 in the Empire of Austria and Slovak uprising.

  • Slovak history
  • History of Law (Hungary )
  • Hungarian History (19th Century )
Hungarian language Diet of Hungary Hungarian Revolution of 1848 Pest, Hungary Slovak Uprising 1848–49
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