The events of April 11, 1848

The “April laws”

This day saw the acceptance of the April laws. Approved by the Diet (the session having been personally closed by the king in the archbishop’s palace), 31 new laws largely reflected the Kossuth demands of March 3. They were — in a sense — a new constitution, reputedly modelled after that of Belgium.

Archbishop’s Palace

Discussed and voted on in haste, the April laws contained some inconsistent elements, but clearly reflected the Diet’s desire to emphasize Hungary’s independent thrust.

Some major issues:

• The King to exercise power through a responsible minister (without his endorsement no order to be valid).
• The bicameral Diet to be convoked annually at Pest, the members being elected for three year terms.
• The King may dissolve the Diet, but obliged to convoke a new one within three months.
• No dismissal until next year’s budget approved.
• The two elements were the Chamber of Deputies and Chamber of Magnates.

Chamber of Magnates

• Franchised to vote were citizens who paid taxes, also those with secondary or higher education.
• Official language to be Hungarian, save Latin in some instances.

Other elements:

• While endorsing freedom of the press, inciting against the person of the King or other parts of the Habsburg empire considered a crime.
• While creating a cabinet post of “Minister of War,” its authority not delineated:

  — jurisdiction over Hungarian units stationed anywhere (e.g. in Italy)?

  — or over imperial forces (regardless of nationality) stationed in Hungary?

  — deployment of Hungarian troops “beyond the borders” to require the “countersignature of the responsible minister.”

• Borders not defined:

  — of Hungary?

  — of the empire?

• Some obligations of “the peasants” relieved, others maintained.

Philosophically many had questioned whether the April laws were to provide broad equality or a rear-guard action by the nobility (i.e. Diet members) to preclude more radical steps.

The April laws had other deficiencies:

Relations with the several minorities (Slovaks, Rumanians, Serbs, etc.) not defined, while Hungarian declared the official language. Croatia-Slavonia had been an autonomous region of the Hungarian Crown — its status undefined. As was seen later, the anti-Hungarian faction in Vienna took full advantage of such inconsistencies to undermine the Hungarian government. Sensing the unclear interface with Austria, Prince Esterházy approached Austrian minister Pillersdorf to establish a commission to deliberate common issues. The Hungarian representative, Ferenc Pulszky, was cut short in his efforts, when the Austrians adjourned the commission’s activities.

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