Hungary in the Hapsburg Empire

Consequences of the expulsion of the Turks

Disastrous economy needs to be reborn!!

Hungary has a chance to recovery of confidence

after many decades of economic stagnation and decline

HOW? That is the question

Travellers’ experiences: The country is the land of contradictions:

land with fertile soil but vast areas with fallow, marshlands

(2.4 % cultivated in 1720), population thin, miserable

Hungary hardly exceeded 3.5 million it had around 1500!

Ways of growing of population:

Migration: Inner movements peasants moved to the Great Plains

Settling supported by the Court (official way of migration)

Immigration ( from Transylvania, Serbia, eg)

form of the new settlement

Western Europe/Hapsburg Empire crop rotation agriculture

was supported by the Court

more industrialised

manufactures extensive trade towards capitalisation

(WE)

Hungary

pasture-ground , two-field system

in some areas of the Western part: three-field s. remained traditional

agricultural country guilds poor

infrasturcture, agrarian trade

NOBILITY: exemption of taxes (’nobles

oblige’)

ARISTOCRACY: loyal to the COURT

inter-marriage integrate privileges returned constitutional

independence guaranteed

LOWER NOBILITY: loyal to the aristocracy, loyal

to the Hapsburgs

PEASANTS : serfdom, obligations:

socage (corve`e) still existed!

3-4days/week,

rent for the land,

state taxes (war tax)

Charles III’s dilemma:

no male heir !

1722-23 the Diet accepted the succession of

the female heir ,perpetual personal union ‚

(until 1918)

IN RETURN: the king agreed (1712-15) to take

the Coronation Oath, call the diet regularly,

Hungarian nobilities’ right to vote for the war

tax, recruits

A woman on the throne in Mid-Europe?

claimants to the throne(e.g.Prussian Frederick II)

Wars, long wars for what? S I L E S I A Why was it important to

obtain or to have it? the most

industrialised, economically powerful area of all Hapsburg possession)

The young Queen was alone Hungarian nobilities’ offer:

‚Vitam et sanguinem’ for the Queen at her personal appeal to the diet an act of prudence

Hungarian nobility was eager to help the Queen

What was offered by them?

4 million florins of subsidy, 35,000 recruits, the noble’s insurrection

WHY ?no suitable pretender in H, Ottoman threat still there for Hungary

Support meant defence long-term effect was more profitable

Long war with moderate succeed :

In the Peace Treaty in Dresden 1745: Frederick acknowledged the Queen’s husband as Holy Roman Emperor ….at last

Then plus three years the war ended with the Treaty of Aachen 1748, the validity of PS

Reinforced the status quo

(before the war!) in

the Treaty of Hubertusburg (1763)

Hungary: in the focus of Vienna’s interest:

vast territory, natural resources were badly needed

These facts destined to Hungary for a central role

of the Monarchy’s power

On the throne

A D M I N I S T R A T I V E SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL

Separation of administration and jurisdiction at highest level

Council of State 1761, the main advisory body

From 1765 the Queen ruled by decree

1754 Tariff Regulation (mercantilism):

a) to protect Austrian and Bohemian industries

b)extra source of income (nobles’ tax free privilege) outer

Double borders inner

Result: H the major supplier of

cheap food and raw material for the western provinces

Huge amount of socage work (3-4 days/week

the income of the state depended on the serfs

1767 Urbarial Decree/Urbarium:

Regulated and unified the serfs’ duties

1777 Ratio Educationis regulated education