Eighteenth Century History Notes
18th Century History by ifj. Barta Janos
Introduction
The 18th century in Hungary marks a significant transition from division to reunification under Habsburg rule after the expulsion of the Ottomans.
Territorial changes: Hungary constituted about half of the Habsburg Monarchy, approximately 750,000 .
Significant transformations occurred in the landscape, economy, culture and society.
Landscape Transformation
Disappearance of the dual-ended border defense system (Ottoman and Habsburg).
End of the devastated "no man's land" between the borders, which used to stretch 25-50 km.
Healing of war wounds in settlements.
Resettlement of the Great Hungarian Plain (Alföld) with new villages.
Increase in cultivated land, encroaching slightly on the vast pasture.
Demographic Changes
Migration of new inhabitants, drawn by the promise of fertile lands.
Movement of ethnic groups from the undisturbed peripheries of the Carpathian Basin.
Influx of settlers from beyond the borders.
Transformation of Human Environments
Conversion of Muslim religious sites ( mosques, minarets) in former Ottoman territories into ruins or destruction .muszlim dzsámikat.
Eradication of fortified manor houses on the Habsburg and Transylvanian sides, replaced by modern Baroque castles.
Emergence of new townscapes with Baroque residential buildings, churches, and public buildings.
Relaxation of city defenses allowing people to inhabit areas outside city walls.
Economic Changes
Agricultural growth with increased arable land and improved farming techniques shift from the fallow system).
Development of animal husbandry.
Emergence of small artisan manufactories.
Growth in mining with state intervention.
Positive trade balance due to agricultural exports surpassing industrial imports.
Cultural Developments
Limited literary and artistic achievements Mikes Kelemen's letters).
Predominance of foreign artists.
Significant architectural advancements, including notable new buildings.
Advancements in science with quality education and scholars contributing to Viennese institutions.
initial efforts to document the country's natural features and gather historical records.
Recognition of Hungarian language's Finno-Ugric roots.
Social Transformation
End of constant war-related threat.
End of Ottoman incursions for slaves and Habsburg soldiers' plundering
Persistence of societal problems (epidemics, natural disasters, exploitation of serfs).
Increasing burdens on tax-paying peasants.
Strict state control over religious adherence.
Government Efforts
Introduction of enlightened absolutism and reforms by Habsburg rulers to address societal problems.
Attempts to make nobility pay taxes and protect serfs through land regulation .
Contradictions and Challenges
Hungary remained part of the Habsburg Empire, experiencing limited self-governance.
Habsburg rulers often disregarded local traditions and interests.
Hungary's reintegration into a poorer, less-developed region, serving as an agricultural supplier to the industrialized West.
Agricultural exports reinforced serfdom and feudal societal structures.
Social Structure
Persistence of feudal privileges and the nobility's reluctance to relinquish them.
Lack of national consensus hindering reforms beneficial to the country's welfare.
Encountering the challenges of undisturbed nature (marshes, swamps) required immense physical effort for cultivation.
Transition from wartime dangers to epidemics and fatal diseases.
The Hungarian population became a minority due to immigration.
Karlóca Peace Treaty (1699)
Marks a turning point in Hungarian history, symbolizing liberation from Ottoman rule and reunification of the country.
Positive Views:
- Acsády Ignác compared the peace to the victory after the battle of Mohács.
- Horváth Mihály emphasized that Hungary was freed from Turkish subjugation (except for the Temes region).
Negative Views:
- Thirring Gusztáv viewed the peace as detrimental to Hungary
*Sebestyén Gyula criticized the treaty for replacing Turkish oppression with Viennese absolutism.
- Thirring Gusztáv viewed the peace as detrimental to Hungary
Ended continuous warfare that had ravaged the country, bringing 16 years of peace from 1683 (the Siege of Vienna).
Marked end of 150 years of recurring wars between the Habsburgs and Ottomans in Hungarian territory.
Hungary did not regain its former glory, remaining under foreign rule, so the peace's significance was not fully recognized.
Lack of Hungarian Participation
Hungarian politicians were excluded from the peace negotiations, reflecting Vienna’s view that their involvement would hinder negotiations.
Military efforts were mainly conducted by non-Hungarian forces.
The Habsburgs had to consider the interests of allies
Venice, Poland, and Russia).- England and Holland mediated, sending diplomats to Karlóca, emphasizing the importance of peace.
Negotiations lasted several months because of various conflicting interests(territorial demands, Thököly's extradition, etc.).
Treaty terms: Hungary regained Ottoman territory (except Temesköz), and Habsburg control extended over most of Hungary and Transylvania.
The borders were strictly defined, eliminating previous issues
The treaty regulated trade between empires and exchange of prisoners. The treaty meant not a restoration of Hungary but it remains under foreign rule.
Negative Consequences of the Karlóca Treaty
Failed to enable Hungary to reclaim its former status.
The Habsburgs neglected Hungarian interests in restructuring the country.
The Habsburgs sought to prevent separation attempts in Hungary.
The Neoacquistica Commissio disadvantaged Hungarian landowners.
- Only the Habsburgs, the catholic church and the lords benefited.
Hungary's administrative unity was not restored.
Kollonich's plan
to weaken noble influence) was only partially implemented.The political rights of the Hungarian nobility were curtailed.
Restrictions were placed on Protestant religious practices.
Rákóczi's Uprising
Despite military efforts, Hungarian society still carried a burden in wars.
There were various failed attempts to remove Habsburgs rule.
In 1697 there was an uprising in Hegyalja, followed by another in Tiszahát in 1703, which had a bigger impact due to political leaders.
These uprisings were led by Rákóczi Ferenc, after having been approched.
During his rule, Rákóczi sought to unite social groups, although he had differing views in terms of economic standing, military, nobility, etc.
In 1704 and 1705, Rákóczi’s had important successes by taking important foundries and metal workings.
Despite the successes in 1706 , Rákóczi’s army lost a very important battle near Trencsén, due to previous military success causing the army to be overconfident.
His attempts at success also ended in failure when the serfs and nobility were not cooperating.
Furthermore there were various negative geopolitical circumstances during the time.
All of these failures led to the Károlyi, on the name of Rákóczi negotiating with the Austrian general, Pálffy. This caused Rákóczi to distrust his people.
Despite not having Rákóczi on the battlefield, the Austrian and Hungarian sides reached to the Szatmár peace treaty , to bring general ammnesty as well as guarantee freedoms of serfs and military.
The Habsburg Rule
I. József became ruler and brought a new tolerant approach to Hungarian-Austrian diplomacy until his death in 1711, however, there was not enough time to form relations.
After his passing the throne was passed onto Károly, who after spending time in Spain returned, and after a period of unease and political discussion, consolidated his power, bringing an end to previous disputes.
Silent Decades
These were the relative years of peace after a long period of war and unrest.
The return of Rakoczi would cause short, minor issues.
Later down the line, an uprising with similar origins called “The Békés Uprising” would take place against the Habsburgs.
Religious issues also took centre states after this period, which had a deep split with 3 groups in power.
After these uprisings, there was a war of Austrian succession, in which Charles dies without a son.
This war, as well as the war with the Turks led to mass turmoil.
Economic Classes
The noble had a very strong hand in leading political power in Hungary.
The peasant, which consisted of a high percentage of the population, had a very hard time rising in society during the era.
There was a lack of royal attendance from the Habsburgs, taking important financial power away from the government.
Aristocrats became separated and distant from their political obligations.
This created tension between higher and lower classes in Hungarian society.
King Charles's Rise to Power
*. He was a very well liked king, however, upon taking power there was immediately a conflict between the classes.
The monarch ruled with both the Hungarian congress and religious rulings.
The country failed to operate on full capacity due to economic hardship, there were a number of taxes that were difficult to fulfill in society.
To this day a lot of the high and low class social issues remain unresolved.
Silent Decades
Compared to the previous ruling, and the previous rulers before that, Charles ruled for a long period relatively peace.
From having no war within the country, to very little issues politically.
Due to Hungary not being recognised as an independent political state, this relative period was still riddled with a number of underlying issues.
Society
There was very strong social classes throughout this time.
Laws continued in place in favour of specific people.
Social status also indicated what a person does in free time, it was a very rigid class system.
Aristocracy
There were various rules in place, which meant that to actually achieve Aristocracy in social standing a person had to be very well known.
This meant people such as political leaders, lords, etc, that had a strong influence on the Hungarian government.
Rákóczi’s army provided a very strong start to the Hungarian aristocracy, and his efforts were later rewarded by Charles army.
Despite being rich, nobility had to seek favour and benefits from the Habsburg empire.
Even with these rules, there were various means of achieving nobility that gave the power class a diverse roster