István Tisza
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
István Tisza
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|---|---|
| In office November 3, 1903 – June 18, 1905 |
|
| Preceded by | Károly Khuen-Héderváry |
| Succeeded by | Géza Fejérváry |
| In office June 10, 1913 – June 15, 1917 |
|
| Preceded by | László Lukács |
| Succeeded by | Móric Esterházy |
|
|
|
| Born | April 22, 1861 Pest, Hungary |
| Died | October 31, 1918 (aged 57) Budapest, Hungary |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
Count István Tisza de Borosjenő et Szeged (22 April 1861 - 31 October 1918) was a Hungarian politician.
Tisza was born in Pest. He was the Prime Minister of Hungary from 1903 to 1905 and from 1913 to 1917, and a major power behind the scenes in the interval. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives of Hungary from May 22, 1912 to June 12, 1913. István Tisza was the son of Count Kálmán Tisza, prime minister of Hungary from 1875 to 1890, whose Liberal Party political machine he inherited. The Tiszas were originally a Calvinist common nobility (nobility with no title; often regarded as equivalent to the British gentry) family from Transylvania, and since their title was very recent, they were much disliked and resented by the greater noble (nobility with titles) families.
Tisza received his post-graduate education at Oxford in the 1880s, during which time he became fluent in English. The Liberal Party was renamed the National Party of Work in 1905. A tough, no-nonsense leader and efficient manager, Tisza dominated Hungarian politics during his career by the generous use of electoral corruption. Though Tisza's power was limited by the relatively free Magyar language press and the courts, at the elections, opposition in the free boroughs was ruthlessly smashed through the use of police intimidation. In the "rotten boroughs", such methods were not necessary.
Tisza's hero and role model was Otto von Bismarck.
Stephen Tisza, who formed his first Cabinet in 1903. He had been a Member of Parliament since 1887 and had had abundant opportunities of seeing how the unyielding temper of the Emperor on the one hand, and the revolutionary spirit of the extremists on the other, were leading to a complete impasse. He himself supported the Compromise, He was a man of deep national feeling, but he stood firmly for union with Austria. The best interests of Hungary demanded the existence of a strong and united Austria-Hungary.
Tisza saw himself as the embodiment of everything best about Hungarian life and was staunchly opposed to any reforms that might allow any wider voting franchise (before 1918 10% of Hungarian population could vote and hold office). In economic affairs, Tisza was a modernizer who encouraged and supported industrialization. In particular, Tisza was an opponent of anti-Semitism, which he feared could jeopardize Hungary's economic development. Much of the emerging middle class were either Jewish or Jewish converts to Christianity. Tisza often used his influence at Court to have titles given to wealthy Jewish families, especially industrialists and bankers. Towards the non-Magyar population, Tisza carried out a policy of forcible Magyarization. Under Tisza, the size of the state grew to offset the decline of the common nobility. It became official policy to hire as many common aristocrats into the bureaucracy. Count Tisza was a very aggressive and belligerent man who fought numerous duels with his political opponents (according to leaders of leftist parties.)
In July 1914, he was opposed to Austria-Hungary going to war with Serbia under the grounds that the Dual Monarchy already had too many Slavs.
Tisza took pains to point out in his report of July 8 that there should at any rate be no question of the annihilation or annexation of Serbia, and that if Serbia gave way Austria-Hungary must be content. On July 9 Tisza informed his colleagues in the Hungarian Cabinet of his attitude, which was approved by them. From this it is obvious that of all those holding responsible office in the Austro-Hungarian Government before the outbreak of war, Count Tisza, representing Hungary, alone opposed war and worked for a peaceful settlement.
Tisza was removed as Prime Minister by the reformist King-Emperor Karl I for his opposition to expanding the franchise. However, Tisza continued to frustrate reforms until the end of the war via his control of the largest block of parliamentary deputies. An attempt to assassinate Tisza took place on 16 October 1918, organized by a group of revolutionary socialists and carried out by János Lékai, while he was leaving the Hungarian Parliament.[1] Tisza was finally murdered in Budapest by a gang of soldiers during Chrysanthemum Revolution of October 1918. In the trial that followed the fall of the Communist regime, finalized on October 6, 1921, Judge István Gadó established the guilt of the following persons: Pál Kéri (exchanged with the Soviet Union), József Pogány (aka John Pepper), fled to Vienna, then Moscow and USA); István Dobó; Tivadar Horváth Sanovics (fled); Sándor Hüttner (died in prison hospital in 1923); Tibor Sztanykovszky (the only one who actually served his 18 year sentence, being released in 1938).
[edit] References
- ^ András Siklós. Revolution in Hungary and the Dissolution of the Multinational State. 1918. Studia Historica. Vol. 189. Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. Budapest, 1988; p.32-33
- Deak, Istvan "The Decline and Fall of Habsburg Hungary, 1914-18" pages 10-30 from Hungary in Revolution edited by Ivan Volgyes Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1971.
- Menczer, Bela "Bela Kun and the Hungarian Revolution of 1919" pages 299-309 from History Today Volume XIX, Issue #5, May 1969, History Today Inc: London.
- Vermes, Gabor "The October Revolution In Hungary" pages 31-60 from Hungary in Revolution edited by Ivan Volgyes Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1971.
| Preceded by Károly Khuen-Héderváry |
Prime Minister of Hungary 1903–1905 |
Succeeded by Géza Fejérváry |
| Preceded by László Lukács |
Prime Minister of Hungary 1913–1917 |
Succeeded by Móric Esterházy |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
