March Constitution (Austria)

The March Constitution, Imposed March Constitution or Stadion Constitution (German: Oktroyierte Märzverfassung or Oktroyierte Stadionverfassung) was a "irrevocable" constitution of the Austrian Empire promulgated by Minister of the Interior Count Stadion between 4 March and 7 March 1849 until it was revoked by the New Year's Eve Patent (Silvesterpatent) of Emperor Franz Joseph I on 31 December 1851.[1][2] The Stadion Constitution was very centralist in nature, and it provided very strong power for the monarch, it also marked the way of the neo-absolutism in the Habsburg ruled territories.[3] It had preempted the Kremsier Constitution of the Kremsier Parliament. This state of affairs would last until the October Diploma of 20 October 1860 and the later February Patent of 26 February 1861.

Hungary

Franz Joseph (that time he was the freshly appointed Emperor of Austria) refused to accept the reforms of the Hungarian April laws. He also arbitrarily "revoked" the April Laws. This was an unconstitutional deed, because the laws were already signed by his uncle King Ferdinand, and the monarch had no right to revoke parliamentary laws which were already signed. The March Constitution reclaimed Habsburg power after the concessions it had made during the Revolutions of 1848. The constitution was accepted by the Imperial Diet of Austria, where Hungary had no representation, and which traditionally had no legislative power in the territory of Kingdom of Hungary; despite this, it also tried to abolish the Diet of Hungary (which existed as the supreme legislative power in Hungary since the late 12th century.)[4] The new Austrian constitution also went against the historical constitution of Hungary, and even tried to nullify it.[5] The revoke of the Hungarian April Laws and reduction of Hungary's territory and traditional status, prompting a renewal of the Hungarian Revolution.[6] On 7 March 1849 an imperial proclamation was issued in the name of the emperor Francis Joseph establishing a united constitution for the whole empire, the territorial integrity of Kingdom of Hungary was abolished, thus Hungary would be administered by five military districts, while Principality of Transylvania would be reestablished.[7]

Hungary was divided into five military districts, Transylvania was also separated. The order was executed in 1850

These events represented a clear and obvious existential threat for the Hungarian state.

References
  1. Schjerve, Rosita Rindler (2003). Diglossia and Power: Language Policies and Practice in the 19th Century Habsburg Empire. Language, Power, and Social Process. 9. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 75–76. ISBN 9783110176544.
  2. Mahaffy, Robert Pentland (1908). Francis Joseph I.: His Life and Times. Covent Garden: Duckworth. p. 39.
  3. Walther Killy (2005). Schmidt - Theyer, Volume 9 of Dictionary of German biography. Walter de Gruyter. p. 237. ISBN 9783110966299.
  4. Július Bartl (2002). Slovak History: Chronology & Lexicon, G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers. p. 222. ISBN 9780865164444.
  5. Hungarian statesmen of destiny, 1860-1960, Volume 58 of Atlantic studies on society in change, Volume 262 of East European monographs. Social Sciences Monograph. 1989. p. 23. ISBN 9780880331593.
  6. Rapport, Mike (2008). 1848: Year of Revolution. Basic Books. p. 369.
  7. Phillips 1911, p. 918.


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