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Hungarian National Guard - 1848

Hungary had the opportunity only in 1998 - in relation with the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Hungarian Defense Forces - to consider all of the military formations set up since 1848 as their legal predecessors. In the spring of 1848 when one of the most glorious chapters in the Hungarian history began. The 15 March revolution broken out in Pest swept throughout the country as a tornado and immediately triggered the counter-attack of the Habsburg-dynasty that had been ruling the country for more than three centuries.

The first independent Hungarian government headed by Lajos Batthyány did not dispose with an appropriate army to defend the revolutionary achievements, since the military units stationing in Hungary were commanded from Vienna. Therefore, the Council of Ministers decided to set up a 10 thousand-strong National Guard. The ten battalions were recruited at a very quick pace and they were fully replenished and equipped (with the help of the treasury) within two months. These military formations were the first to be referred to as "Honvéd Battalions". The Prime Minister made tremendous efforts to help establishing newer and newer battalions "whose commanding language, flag, uniform and insignia were true Hungarian".

On 21 May 1848 the nearly one-year-old Defense Forces reoccupied the Castle of Buda - the ancient center of Hungary - from the occupying Austrian imperial troops. This glorious deed of valor did not mean only one of the greatest military victories of the Hungarian independence war, but it offered an excellent occasion for the Hungarian army to enforce the Declaration of Independence adopted and declared by the National Assembly in April 1849.

The Prime Minister and his government resigned on 8 October 1848. Subsequently, the National Defense Council performed the government's duties, with the chairmanship of Lajos Kossuth. The setting up of the army continued and its high commanders were right when they stated; "Each unit of our Defense Forces has taken oath on the constitution and - by virtue of the law - is wearing our national colors. Thereby, the difference between the old regular regiments and the newly set up battalions has ceased to exist; the Hungarian army is completely homogenous and all of its formations are entitled to wear the glorious denomination: Hungarian Defense Forces".

What happened at that time had been completely unprecedented in the Hungarian history. Earlier - during several centuries - there had been only some banderiums of the nobility or ad-hock insurgent groups that were brave enough to face the aggressors or invaders. Although during the Rákóczi-war of independence there appeared some organized military formations, but they consisted mostly of noblemen. It was the first occasion that the Hungarian political leadership officially set up national formations - the battalions of the National Guard - in a planned and centrally coordinated manner, and purposefully recruited its personnel for home defense. Thereby this army is commemorated as the legal predecessor of the present Hungarian Defense Forces.

After the initial military successes - although the flag of the Hungarian independence were still hoisted - the imperial troops became ever stronger and forged ahead endangering the Hungariens hard-won victory and achievements. Although there were some battles fought with varying success, Lieutenant General Jellashich inflicted a heavy defeat on the Hungarian corps of General Mór Perczel in the vicinity of Mór settlement. Therefore, it became impossible for the Commander-in-Chief Artúr Görgei to hold up the main grouping of the imperial and royal troops before they could reach the capital.

Subsequently, there were several months, when it was quite uncertain: whether Hungary (and its army) was able to preserve its independence, whether it had the strength to resist or it was doomed to be crumbled under the first strikes. On 02 January in Buda-Pest, the War Council took a very difficult decision. There loomed no hope for our troops to resist to the Austrian numerical superiority and defend the capital, thus they were forced to withdraw. Nevertheless, Lajos Kossuth and his ministers were optimistic and well aware of the fact that until the Hungarian legislative power existed they had the possibility to win and avoid the final defeat.

It was in this spirit that the Hungarian Defense Forces could enjoy their first victories. The number one at that time in our country; Kossuth had the pleasure to closely monitor the victorious battles. He was of the opinion that the spring-victories enabled the Hungarian deputies to give a worthy response to the "Olmutz Constitution" issued by the Austrian Emperor on 04 March 1849. Thus, he decided that - after his return to Debrecen - he would initiate the dethronement of the House of Habsburg and declare the country's independence.