József Rákóczi, the last Transylvanian pretender
József Rákóczi, the last Transylvanian pretender

Summary/Abstract: The Ottoman state wanted to regain the territories of Belgrade, Temesvár, the western part of Wallachia and possibly Transylvania, lost as a consequence of the peace-treaty of Passarowitz in 1718. The realisation of this aim seemed feasible when Sultan Mahmud I was at war with the Russian and Habsburg empires in the late 1730s. The Ottomans recognised that they needed the co-operation of Hungarians and a legitimate pretender or at least somebody who could be used in the political game of chess. This role was assigned to József Rákóczi, son of the last prince of Transylvania, Ferenc II Rákóczi, with whom they concluded an agreement on January 20, 1738. Rákóczi made serious efforts to gain the diplomatic support of the European states. His attempt to return to Hungary failed and he died of plague on November 10, 1738.

• Details
• Contents