THE EQAQ TQ REFGEM AND 'E'HE EMANQEPATEOM OF EH5 SERH IN HUNGARY $767-$361 Wash: 56:? film I'm a}? M. A. MI‘CREGAN 'SYATE‘. UNEVERSETY Imre Tibbr Jarmy 1967 WENT 0F HISTORY um STATE UNWIRSWV EAST LANSING. meme»: ABSTRACT THE ROAD TO REFORM AND THE EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS IN HUNGARY 1767-1867 by Imre Tibor Jarmy Custom, tradition, law, peculiar feudal institutions, the personality of Habsburg sovereigns, economic social and political conditions were the main factors that determined the course of reform and the emancipation of the serfs in Hungary. The county system, the Tripartitum and Maria Theresia's urbarial reforms enhanced the privileged position of the nobility, while the high handed methods of Joseph II ushered in an era of reaction that lasted until the 1830's. By this time there emerged a new social and political current, noble liberalism, and a new class, an intelligentsia. In combination these two laid groundwork for a profound change in the world of the serf. During a brief reform period (1832-1847), a minority of liberal minded Magyar aristocrats, wealthy middle nobility and landless intelligentsia of noble birth successfully breached the walls of feudalism. Three consecutive Diets passed some of the most urgent reforms, and by the second half of the 1840's Hungary was well on the way to gradual change. The revolutions of 1848 accelerated this process to such an extent that feudalism, and with it serfdom, was abol— ished practically overnight. The Magyars were unable to implement their "April Laws" due to their military and Imre Tibor Jarmy political demise in 1849. An absolutistic Habsburg re— gime thereupon tried to save as much of feudalism (at least in its political and social aspects) as possible, and initiated reforms on its own terms. Vienna delayed until 1853 in announcing the terms of emancipation and until 1856 in providing a judicial machinery for the implementation of this monumental task. Austria's emancipation of the serfs was inadequate in several respects but it was almost radical in others. It was inadequate in that the Patent of 1853 made peasant owner— ship of land dependent on the types of land a serf tilled prior to emancipation, using as a guideline the antiquated 1767 urbarial registers of Maria Theresia. Consequently only forty per cent of the former serfs became landowners, while the rest became seasonal agricultural workers who were un— able to leave for the cities (as they did in the West and other Austrian provinces) due to Hungary's industrial back— wardness. The delays in implementation wrought a great hardship on the landed peasantry mainly because they were required to continue delivery of socage dues on certain (albeit smaller) portion of their lands until they could redeem them from their former lords. It was radical, however, in that Vienna assumed redemption payments on the major (urbarial) portion of serf lands and also enabled the peasants to acquire additional lands despite the stiff opposition of their former lords. In addition Vienna abolished the personal Imre Tibor Jarmy relationship between serf and lord as well as the age old distinctions between former serf, noble and other types of land which the Russian or Rumanian emancipations failed to accomplish. By 1867 the majority of the peasants were freed. Austria went further than the Magyar nobility was willing to go, yet the reforms were not much more than half measures. Both the nobility and the peasantry were unpre- pared for competition in a capitalistic economic system. Both were ignorant of modern, efficient methods of farming, in addition the government failed to provide them with vital credit facilities. The vestiges of feudalism continued to linger on: the nobility retained political control and after 1867 even the archaic county system was restored, while vital farm legislation was repeatedly defeated in Parliament. The reforms fizzled out into a procession of government half measures, endless court proceedings and a forest of legal technicalities. THE ROAD TO REFORM AND THE EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS IN HUNGARY 1767-1867 BY Imre Tibor Jarmy A THESIS Submitted-to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of History 1967 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My heartfelt thanks to my mother and father, Maria and Tibor, whose love and devotion to self betterment instilled in me the desire to know. To my teachers at the Gimnazium of Sérospatak, Hungary who guided me to broad horizons in the humanities and sciences. To professor William O. McCagg, jr. whose infinite patience and invaluable comments helped make order out of these chapters. To Professors Arthur E. Adams, Madison Kuhn, Norman R. Rich and George W. Radimersky for their helpful suggestions. And to my wife, Marian, who not only typed the manuscript but whose tenacious insistence made me grasp the finer points of English phraseology. ii CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . LIST OF TABLES . V ILLUSTRATION . Vi INTRODUCTION . 1 Chapter I. FEUDALISM IN HUNGARY . 5 State Organization The Tripartitum of Istvén Werboczy The Urbarium of Maria Theresia II. REFORMERS, REACTIONARIES AND REFORMS, 1780-1844 . 21 The Reformers Joseph II Count Istvén Széchenyi Lajos Kossuth Ferencz Deék The Antagonists of Reform Francis I Prince Metternich Count Kollowrat Count Aurél Dessewffy The Reform Period, 1832—1847 III. REVOLUTION AND THE EMANCIPATION LAW, 1847—1849 . 48 Declaration of the Opposition, 1847 Elections to the 1847 Diet Stalemate Between Crown and Diet April Laws, 1848 Revolutionary Government, 1848-1849 iii CONTENTS-—Continued IV. ABSOLUTISM AND PROBLEMS OF IMPLEMENTATION, 1849—1867 . 6O Reign of Terror Bach System Patent of 1853 Land Disputes — Partial Emancipation Categories and Consolidation of Land Progress of Implementation V. BALANCE SHEET AND CONCLUSIONS . 102 Resistance to Change Inept Agriculture Debt Taxes and Financial Crisis Inadequate Land Distribution Half Measures GLOSSARY . 109 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 111 iv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Pasture and Forest Allotments, 1853—1867 . 84 2. Average Size and Dispersement of Peasant Lands, 1866 . 89 3. Land Surveys and Adjustments, 1850 . 92 4. Urbarial Settlements, 1848-1865 . 97 5. Size and Dispersement of Peasant Farms at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century . 101 ILLUSTRATION Page Map of Hungary During the Bach Period . 61 vi INTRODUCTION The emancipation of serfs in Europe was initiated and carried out by the ruling classes. It was a revolution from the top down which tried to remedy economic and social ills and at the same time preserve the status quo; that is, in— sure the continuity of political power in traditional hands —— that of the nobility. An exception to this is of course France. On the other hand, Prussia, the Habsburg Empire and Russia did manage to preserve the rule of their nobility while making their serfs "equal before the law." Custom, tradition and law influenced to such an ex— tent the way serfdom was abolished and reforms implemented that I found it necessary to reach far into the past and expose the roots of the troubles ahead. Moreover, as the work progressed, I found it imperative to dwell at consider— able length on the nature of the reformers since their desire for change was of such varied character according to their station in life. But for the same reasons I could not ig- nore the antagonists of reform either. Finally I had to examine briefly the reform legislation of the 1830‘s and 1840's in order to show how feudalism in Hungary tried to remedy its own ills. The liberalism of Hungary's nobility was not unlike, in essence, that of its neighbors; but the circumstances under which serf emancipation and its implementation came 1 2 about was different indeed. While Hungary was part of the Habsburg Empire, its Diet brought about emancipation on its own volition without imperial sanction from Vienna. At first the Crown Council even refused to consider the matter, and only under the threat of popular uprising and violence did it finally acquiesce. To complicate matters, the inept Emperor Ferdinand was forced to abdicate in favor of his nephew Franz Joseph, then barely eighteen years of age. This enabled the military to assume a major role in the affairs of state. Prince Felix Schwarzenberg maintained that the young Emperor was not legally bound by any of the promises of his predecessor and persuaded Franz Joseph to sanction military action against "rebellious" Hungary. At first Hungarian nationalism overshadowed the prob— lems of reform in that it directed public attention toward "a common enemy" the alien Habsburgs. But this nationalism permeated only the middle classes. The peasantry was in— terested almost exclusively in the terms of its emancipation. The peasant wanted title to the land he tilled and cared little for “the affairs of nobles." In order to insure a peaceful hinterland, the revolutionary government found it mandatory to implement the laws of the Diet of 1847. By 1849 the language of the Hungarian government's decrees was reminiscent of those of the Jacobins of the French Revolution, but it came too late for implementation. The peasants still refused to flock under the national tricolor. In addition, imperial Habsburg and Russian troops overwhelmed the Hun— garians in the field. In the.wake.of the Revolution a strong, centralized, alien government from Vienna tried to rescue as much of feudalism (at least in its political and social aSpects) as possible. Vienna promptly voided the radical measures of the revolutionary government, but it upheld the emanicpation law of the Diet of 1847. By 1850 the reform zeal of the Hungarians gave way to obstructionism against foreign rule and stagnation —— a "let us muddle through" attitude. It was not until 1853 that the Emperor issued the patent by which the emancipation of the serfs was to be implemented.