Chapter 1499: Hungary's Decision
Chapter 1499: Hungary's Decision
In Pozsony, a city in western Hungary.
"This is the edict of Huangdi Bixia." Grazalkovich Antal, the Chief Justice of the Chamber of Deputies, handed the document in his hand to his assistant, gesturing for him to show it to the councilors.
By now, Hungary's bicameral parliament had reconvened. It was divided into the House of Magnates and the Chamber of Deputies, with the latter responsible for taxes and recruitment, its councilors serving as representatives sent by the various Hungarian counties.
The Chief Justice served as the de facto speaker, nominated by the Emperor.
A barrage of table-slapping instantly erupted in the parliament hall, the councilors' chosen method of expressing their discontent.
Antal frowned and rapped his gavel over a dozen times, but the noise drowned it out completely, forcing him to give up in the end.
Janos stood up and declared loudly, "Even this edict is written in German, without so much as a translation in Magyar!"
The councilors immediately joined in the uproar. "The Emperor has forbidden the teaching of Magyar in the countryside. In a few more years, my own son won't even understand what I'm saying!"
"My nephews can only study Magyar behind closed doors at home, as if it were some great shame."
Antal waited until the crowd grew tired of shouting before seizing his opportunity. "Gentlemen, what we need to discuss right now is sending an army to suppress the rebellion in Vienna. Huangdi Bixia demands that we raise forty thousand troops—"
Janos called out again, "Yes, send an army, but the Emperor wants us to foot the bill ourselves!"
"Last year, we paid thirteen million florins in taxes to Vienna. If I recall correctly, when we fight for the Empire, the military expenses should be paid by Vienna!"
Councilor Palffy also stood up. "In the past, when we went to war in Silesia, Italy, Poland, and the Southern Netherlands, we advanced massive sums as well, and the Emperor never once mentioned reimbursing us."
The cries of agreement in the parliament hall grew even more intense. "Because of the Emperor's wars, peasants in our county are going bankrupt every single day!"
"For decades, we haven't even paved a single dirt road, yet we are busy fighting all across Europe!"
"I don't think there's anything wrong with the citizens of Vienna. They can barely survive as it is; we shouldn't be turning our guns on them—"
A sudden silence fell over the hall. Everyone turned to look at the councilor who had spoken.
While such sentiments were not taboo in Hungary, openly voicing them during a session of the Chamber of Deputies was unprecedented.
Antal glared at him and said sternly, "Mr. Bedelan, you must retract those words immediately."
Janos, however, spoke up even louder. "Mr. Bedelan is absolutely right!
"When it comes to opposing the Emperor's mistakes, our goals are identical to those of the citizens of Vienna."
Antal banged his gavel so hard it nearly snapped. "Silence! Do you intend to defy the orders of Huangdi Bixia?
"Of course not," the elderly Councilor Geza said, rising to his feet. "We should raise an army as quickly as possible, and it ought to exceed forty thousand men."
The councilors looked at him in surprise. "Are you actually in favor of sending troops to Vienna?"
"The people there are fighting for liberty and equality, just like us!"
Geza gestured for quiet and continued, "As for how this army is to be deployed, I believe that should be decided by both houses."
Janos's eyes lit up. "Exactly! Our army should first and foremost be used to defend Hungarian territory and the liberty of the Hungarian people."
Palffy chimed in, "And it must be commanded by Hungarians!"
Currently, all mid-to-high-ranking officials and military officers in Hungary were appointed by Vienna, the vast majority of whom were Austrians.
Janos strode up to the wooden dais, unceremoniously stepping in front of Antal. He raised his hand and declared, "I propose we put the formation of the Hungarian National Guard to a vote!"
He cast a sidelong glance at Antal and said playfully, "You see? We are faithfully executing the edict of Huangdi Bixia to raise an army."
"Madness! This is madness!" Antal's hands trembled. "Vienna will soon declare you rebels and dispatch an army to crush you!"
"Why would you say such a thing?" Janos shook his head. "If the Emperor agrees to stop imposing German, permits the two houses to remain in permanent session, lowers Hungary's taxes, and pays our outstanding military expenses, we will remain loyal to him."
Palffy added, "And he must recognize Hungarian autonomy, letting Hungarians govern Hungary!"
"And what if the Emperor refuses?" a calm voice called out from among the councilors. "The Emperor commands two hundred thousand troops, while we can raise seventy thousand at most. If the Emperor sends his army to attack Buda, we will be swiftly defeated."
The councilors, who had been cheering excitedly a moment ago, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over them, and the room fell silent instantly.
Janos smiled. "You seem to have forgotten that it is the Austrian Empire that currently issues decrees in Vienna. The Emperor's army will first have to contend with their National Guard."
"When that happens, our army will be the very prize both sides vie to win over."
The questioning councilor nodded, then asked, "And what if the House of Magnates rejects our proposal? They might not want to ruin relations with the Emperor."
Geza's slow, deliberate voice rose once more. "No, I believe the House of Magnates will support all our decisions. The lords of the upper house want nothing more than to rid themselves of trade taxes and restore our tariffs against Austria."
Indeed, under the direction of Prince Joseph, clandestine trade between France and Hungary had surged year after year. This left the Hungarian aristocracy deeply resentful of Vienna's various trade restrictions.
After all, selling a basket of chili peppers to Vienna brought in sixty percent less profit than selling it to the French.
Furthermore, the French did not dump grain, glassware, and other commodities into Hungary. These happened to be vital pillars of the Hungarian economy.
Yet, following the Metternich Reforms, Hungary was required to abolish its tariffs and strictly adhere to Vienna's foreign trade policies.
This was nothing short of ruining their livelihood.
That was why Geza predicted that the House of Magnates, which had historically defended the Habsburg rule, would most likely defect.
Just five days later, the entirety of Hungary was swept up in a fervor.
Both the House of Magnates and the Chamber of Deputies passed the Hungarian National Guard Act and resolved to draft the August Decree to safeguard Hungarian independence. Its core provisions included: declaring Magyar as the sole official language of Hungary; completely abolishing serfdom and drastically reducing the cost of land redemption; halting the Germanization within Hungary; vesting the authority to appoint Hungarian officials and military officers in the House of Magnates; and implementing a new tax system.
Because the Exiled Kuruc had been tirelessly promoting the idea of Hungarian national independence—supported by an annual funding of nearly three hundred thousand francs and several clandestine printing presses—the public throughout Hungary welcomed the resolutions of both houses with immense enthusiasm. In less than a week, over sixty thousand people had already registered to join the Hungarian National Guard.
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