Language as a political issue: The case of language of command in the Austro-Hungarian army
Language as a political issue: The case of language of command in the Austro-Hungarian army

Summary/Abstract: The paper shows the political crisis of dualism in a multinational Austro-Hungary that was initiated by the political opposition of the Magyar magnates in the Hun-garian Parliament. It was initiated by the large land owners-magnates with the claim to introduce the Magyar language as the language of command within the Hungarian army. The claim implicated the split of the united army and dispute of the joint chief commander, the Emperor Francis Joseph. The issue of the Magyar language was, for this reason, primarily a political question that subsequently meant the further weakening of political ties with the western half of the Monar-chy until the complete separation of Hungary. The Emperor opposed this, an-nouncing a new electoral law that would put an end to the dominance of the Magyar minority over the non-Magyar majority in Hungary. He was supported by the Liberal party headed by István Tisza, who was correct in his assessment that dualism primarily protected the Magyar interests in Hungary. The fear of the new electoral law sobered the Magyar nationalists and they gave upon the idea of re-vising the Austrian-Hungarian Ausgleich. The Emperor subsequently gave up the implementation of the law on the general right to vote in Hungary, led by direct political interests, despite the fact that a law like this, under favorable political circumstances which unfortunately were not present, could have become the fu-ture foundation – and not the eventual destruction – of the protection of the Mon-archy.

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