Vojvodina (Voivodship) of Serbia and Tamis Banat
Years: 1849 - 1867
Related Events
Filter results
Showing 10 events out of 26 total
The Introduction of Telegraph Lines in the 19th Century
The first telegraph lines were laid in the early to mid-19th century, revolutionizing long-distance communicationby enabling instantaneous transmission of messages over vast distances. This technological advancement dramatically impacted commerce, diplomacy, military strategy, and journalism.
Early Developments in Telegraphy
- 1837 – British inventors William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone developed the first commercial telegraph system, which was used by railways to improve safety and scheduling.
- 1838–1844 – In the United States, Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail perfected the electromagnetic telegraph and introduced Morse code as a standardized system of communication.
- 1844 – The first telegraph line in the United States was completed between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, transmitting the historic message: “What hath God wrought?”
- 1850s–1860s – Telegraph networks expanded rapidly across Europe and North America, linking major cities and government centers.
- 1866 – The first successful transatlantic telegraph cable was laid, connecting Europe and North Americaand reducing communication time from weeks to minutes.
Impact of Telegraphy
The laying of telegraph lines transformed global communication, allowing for:
- Faster coordination of trade and finance, with stock market updates transmitted across continents.
- Rapid dissemination of news, as newspapers could receive updates from foreign correspondents in real time.
- More efficient military strategy and government administration, as leaders could issue orders across vast territories instantly.
By the late 19th century, the telegraph had become an essential tool of modern communication, paving the way for the telephone and wireless technology in the early 20th century.
In April a "rump" Diet deposes the Habsburg Dynasty in Hungary, proclaims Hungary a republic, and names Kossuth governor with dictatorial powers.
After the declaration, Austrian reinforcements are transferred to Hungary, and in June, at Franz Joseph's request, Russian troops attack from the east and overwhelm the Hungarians.
The Hungarian army surrenders on August 13, and Kossuth escapes to the Ottoman Empire.
A period of harsh repression follows.
Batthyany and about one hundred others are shot, several society women are publicly whipped, and the government outlaws public gatherings, theater performances, display of the national colors, and wearing of national costumes and Kossuth-style beards.
The European revolutions of 1848 bring more ferment in relations between the Serbs and their neighbors.
As part of their revolutionary program, the Hungarians threaten to Magyarize the Serbs in Vojvodina.
Some Serbs there declare their independence from Hungary and proclaim an autonomous Vojvodina; others rally behind the Austrian-Croatian invasion of Hungary.
The Serbs nearly declare war, but Russian and Turkish diplomacy restrain them.
The Serbs in Hungary gain nothing from helping Austria to crush the revolution.
Vienna rules Vojvodina harshly after 1850 and silences Serbian irredentists there.
When Austria joins Hungary to form the Dual Monarchy in 1867, Vienna will return Vojvodina and its Serbs to Hungary.
Emperor Franz Joseph revokes Hungary's constitution after suppressing the Hungarian revolution, and assumes absolute control.
The emperor divides the country into four distinct territories: Hungary, ...
...Transylvania, ...
...Vojvodina, and ...
...Croatia-Slavonia.
German and Bohemian administrators manage the government, and German becomes the language of administration and higher education.
The non-Magyar minorities of Hungary receive little for their support of Austria during the turmoil.
A Croat reportedly tells a Hungarian: “We received as a reward what the Magyars got as a punishment”.
Vienna rules Vojvodina harshly after 1850 and silences Serbian irredentists there.
Some Hungarians hold out hope for full separation from Austria; others want an accommodation with the Habsburgs, provided that they respect Hungary's constitution and laws.
Ferenc Deák becomes the main advocate for accommodation.
Deák upholds the legality of the April Laws and argues that their amendment requires the Hungarian Diet's consent.
He also holds that the dethronement of the Habsburgs is invalid.
As long as Austria rules absolutely, Deák argues, Hungarians should do no more than passively resist illegal demands.
The first crack in Franz Joseph's neo-absolutist rule develops in 1859, when the forces of Sardinia and France defeat Austria at Solferino.
The defeat persuades Franz Joseph that national and social opposition to his government is too strong to be managed by decree from Vienna.
Gradually he recognizes the necessity of concessions toward Hungary, and Austria and Hungary thus move toward a compromise.
The “Bach regime” is maintained for a decade in Hungary, unrelaxed in principle although with some alterations in practice (named for Alexander Bach, Austrian minister of the interior).
Hungarian public opinion is divided over the country's relations with Austria.
Some Hungarians hold out hope for full separation from Austria; others want an accommodation with the Habsburgs, provided that they respect Hungary's constitution and laws.
The followers of the exiled Kossuth are irreconcilable, but many inside Hungary rally behind Ferencz Deak, who becomes the main advocate for accommodation.
Deak upholds the legality of the April Laws and argues that their amendment requires the Hungarian Diet's consent.
He also holds that the dethronement of the Habsburgs is invalid and that Hungary's right to complete internal independence is inalienable but that under the Pragmatic Sanction, which he accepts, foreign affairs and defense are subjects “common” to the two halves of the monarchy and that a mechanism can be devised for handling these affairs constitutionally.
As long as Austria rules absolutely, Deak argues, Hungarians should do no more than passively resist illegal demands.