Kossuth and Gorgey, the Political-Military Relationship in the Hungarian War of Independence, 1848-1849

In the spring of 1849, the rebel Hungarians defeated the Austrian army and liberated their country. The leaders of this struggle were Louis Kossuth, one of Hungary's most brilliant statesmen and Arthur Gorgey, one of Hungary's most talented generals. Franz Joseph I of Austria begged for help to Nicholas I, the Russian Tsar, who, in the name of the Holy Alliance, sent 200,000 soldiers to put down the Hungarian revolution. The two great patriots, Kossuth and Gorgey, saw differently how Hungary could win and they clashed over how to wage the war against the heavy odds. The politician intervened into operations while the general wanted to dictate the policy of the country. They did so when Hungary had no time for the luxury of internal conflicts. Nevertheless, the War of Independence did not fail due to domestic challenges but it was inevitably defeated by the combined Russo-Austrian offensive. This thesis is going to be a concise history of the armed conflict, with special emphasis on the relationship between Governor-president Louis Kossuth and General Arthur Gorgey, the political and the military leaders of the War of Independence.