| Date | Event | Associations |
|---|---|---|
| --------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | 895 | Hungarians enter the Carpathian Basin |
Led through Pass of Verecke (pron. Ve-rets-ke) by Árpád, son of Álmos, elected chief by the 7 tribes. |
| 955 | Defeated by Emperor Otto the Great near Augsburg |
Ends raiding campaigns; commander Lehel cracks skulls of captors with battle-horn before execution. |
| 1000 | Stephen (later: Saint) crowned first king |
Crown from Pope, coronation at Esztergom; granted title Apostolic on converting country to Christianity. |
| 1031 | King's only son Prince Imre dies in hunting accident |
Tutored by (later martyred) Bishop Gellért; paternal instructions for royal conduct: Admonitiones (extant) |
| 1077-95 | King László I (later: Saint) restores order | Preux chevalier sans peur et reproche;
joins Crown of Croatia-Slavonia to that of Hungary. |
| 1095- 1116 |
King Coloman the Bookish adds much to legislation |
Forbids prosecution of witches quia strigiis non sunt; acquires Dalmatia for Hungary; entertains Crusaders. |
| 1172-96 | Béla III makes written documents compulsory | Educated at Court of kinsman Manuel Commnenos; his revenues equal/exceed those of King of England's. |
| 1213 | Gertrude, meddling Queen of Andrew II, assassinated |
Inspiration for great 19th c. play Bánk Bán, also made into opera by Erkel (composer of national anthem). |
| 1222 | Andrew II forced to issue Golden Bull | Charter of rights of freemen (later: nobiles) against Crown & barons, pivot of their subsequent advance. |
| 1241-41 | Mongols under Batu Khan devastate Hungary | 25%-33% of population killed/enslaved; Béla IV builds new hilltop capital at Buda (1245-47). |
| 1254 | Princess Margaret defies her father and becomes nun |
To nurse sick at nunnery on today's Margaret Island (between Buda & Pest); declared Saint 1943. |
| 1260-90 | Dissension under Béla IV, Stephen V & László IV | Stephen fights father Béla; László leads dissipated life with Cumans; a few barons carve up the country. |
| 1267-89 | Parliament emerges, begins to influence legislation and actions of Crown |
Elected representatives from all counties meet, 1267; hold joint sessions with barons & bishops from 1275; are designated Parlamentum Publicum from 1289. |
| 1278 | Emperor Rudolph acquires Austria for Habsburgs. | Hungarian military support decisive against Ottokar of Bohemia -- its ultimate consequences unforeseen. |
| 1301 | Andrew III, last of House of Árpád, dies aged 36 |
Throne claimed by Venceslas of Bohemia, Otto of Bavaria & Charles Robert Anjou of Naples-Sicily. |
| 1310 | Parliament accepts claim of Charles Robert, crowned | Followed by 10 years' struggle to subdue overmighty barons; from 1330s issues reliable gold florins. |
| 1347-50 | Louis I the Great twice occupies Naples |
To avenge brother Andrew murdered by wife Queen Joanna; inspired 19th c. Toldi Trilogy by Arany. |
| 1370 | Louis I the Great inherits the Crown of Poland from uncle | The two realms are kept separate: his mother, sister of Casimir III, governs Poland on his behalf. |
| 1382 | Louis's elder daughter Mary crowned Queen Regnant | Poland accepts her sister Hedwig, on condition of marriage to Wladislaw II Jagiello of Lithuania. |
| 1385 | Sigismund of Luxembourg marries Mary | Younger son of Emperor Charles IV, educated at Buda; first only consort, crowned co-ruler in 1387. |
| 1395- 1437 |
After Mary's death Sigismund becomes sole ruler | Works with Parliament, adds members for Royal Free Cities; University at Óbuda. Emperor: 1411. |
| 1440 | Ulászló I Jagiello acquires throne after civil war |
Not son of Hedvig, but has support against widowed Queen Elizabeth (daughter of Sigismund). |
| 1444 | Ulászló I falls in battle against Turks at Varna |
At Papal Legate's behest breaks solemn oath to keep peace just made with Murad II (Legate killed too). |
| 1440-53 | John Hunyadi dominates Hungary, sees off Turks | Perhaps Sigismund's bastard; supporter of Ulászló; many victories in the Balkans; Regent 1446-53. |
| 1456 | John Hunyadi relieves Belgrade & dies. |
Three years after taking Constantinople Sultan Mehmet II thwarted; church-bells rung at noon since. |
| 1458 | Matthias Corvinus (John Hunyadi's son) elected King | His elder brother László was put to death at order of László V in 1457 (inspiring 19th c. opera by Erkel). |
| 1458-90 | Outstanding reign of Matthias the Just |
Effective administration; Turks kept at bay; brilliant Rennaisance Court at Buda; Vienna taken 1485. |
| 1490 | Feeble Ulászló II Jagiello elected to throne |
John Corvinus, legitimised bastard of Matthias, out-intrigued by barren Dowager Queen Beatrice. |
| 1490- 1526 |
Decline under Ulászló II & Louis II (10 when crowned) |
No royal authority, revenues or defence-measures; factional dissension; peasants' revolt (Dózsa) in 1514. |
| 1526 | Turks annihilate Hungarian army at Mohács (29 August) |
Lays Hungary open to Suleiman II the Magnificent; Louis II (still childless) dead & throne vacant. |
| 1526-40 | Two kings: John I Zápolya & Ferdinand I Habsburg |
John ex-Governor of Transylvania elected October; Ferdinand brother of Charles V 6 weeks later. |
| 1541 | Suleiman occupies Buda; separate Transylvania. | To 'protect' John's baby son John Sigismund Turks keep Buda, leave him Transylvania. |
| 1552 | Stephen Dobó holds Eger against Turks (5 weeks) | Turks hold most of central plains and Transdanubia to Lake Balaton; religious disputes paralyse Empire. |
| 1566 | Turks take Szigetvár defended by Nicholas Zrinyi |
Garrison dies rather than surrender, unaware that Suleiman just died in camp; relief army idle at Gyôr. |
| 1550-75 | Split of country into three parts becomes established | Royal Hungary (West & North); Principality of Transylvania; Turkish Conquest (centre). |
| 1593- 1606 |
The fifteen-years war against the Turks | The first and last (until 1686) major effort to dislodge the Turks; skirmishing border warfare continuous. |
| 1605 | Transylvania elects Stephen Bocskai its Prince | Royal supremacy almost accepted, but bloodbaths by General Basta lead to war & concessions in Hungary. |
| 1608 | Matthias II's royal assent to important Acts of Parliament | Include: freedom of religion; Protestants for some offices; separate Chamber for titled magnates. |
| 1619- 29 |
Gábor Bethlen Prince of Transylvania in 30 years war | Supports Protestant side; briefly occupies most of Hungary, invests Vienna; offered but refuses Crown. |
| 1635 | Peter Pázmány founds University at Nagyszombat | Calvinist to Jesuit to Archbishop, brilliant preacher & writer; University later moved to Pest, still going. |
| 1664 | Craven Peace of Vasvár -- against Hungary's interests | Although attacking Turks routed in battle, Leopold I concedes all their demands & recent conquests. |
| 1667- 74 |
Leopold I institutes reign of terror, executions, exactions | Senior dignitaries put to death; special courts to deal with Protestants; unlawful taxes & confiscations. |
| 1678- 85 |
Imre Thököly leads kuruc revolt against Leopold I | Unites anti-Habsburg forces; supported by Turks; proclaimed Pince of the Highlands; dies in exile. |
| 1685- 88 |
Ilona Zrinyi holds Munkács against Imperial forces | Sister of executed Peter Zriny, wife of Thököly and mother, from first marriage, of Francis II Rákóczi. |
| 1686 | Buda retaken from the Turks (2 September) | By international army assembled at inititive of Pope Innocent XI & led by Charles of Lorraine. |
| 1687-88 | Leopold I institutes renewed reign of terror & arbitrary rule (latter till his death: 1705) | General Caraffa's blood-tribunals at Eperjes; Transylvania made hereditary Habsburg Duchy; Neoacquistica Commissio; no Parliaments. |
| 1701 | Francis II Rákóczi sides with resistance to arbitrary rule | Educated in Vienna from teens; now charged with high treason but escapes from jail in clothes of wife. |
| 1703-11 | War for Liberty led by Francis II Rákóczi | Covert support from Louis XIV; to 1708 holds most of country; eventually runs out of men & money. |
| 1711 | Peace of Szatmár terminates civil war | Charles III approves terms agreed by Pálffy & Károlyi, incl. general amnesty, constitutional rule. |
| 1723 | Parliament ennacts Acts I - III: Pragmatica Sanctio | Recognises right of Charles III's daughter Maria Theresia to succession; formalises personal union. |
| 1740 | Maria Theresia crowned & sustained against Prussia | With cry Vitam & sanguinem pro regem nostram! Parliament votes men and money to defend her throne. |
| 1780-90 | Joseph II attempts enlightened absolutism | Wants to impose his ideas from above: will not swear to rule by Constitution, hence refuses to be crowned. |
| 1795 | Jacobin conspiracy of the Abbé Martinovich | Inspired by French Revolution, sucks in numerous idealists; leaders executed, rest imprisoned. |
| 1800-30 | Movement to renew language & general cultural upsurge | Circle of Kazinczy; Francis Széchényi: National Library; his son Stephen: Academy of Sciences. |
| 1830-48 | Age of reform - economic & some political advances | Széchenyi: rivers regulated, first railways; Wesselényi; Kölcsey; Parliamentary Reports of Kossuth. |
| 1848 | April Laws: constitutional monarchy, old privileges end | Ministers answer to Parliament; special status & rights of nobiles abolished; relation to Austria left vague. |
| 1848 | Attacks by ancien régime Court (summer/autumn) | First Jelashich & Croatian then Windisch-Graetz & Austrian army; Serb & Rumanian insurrections. |
| 1849 | Francis Joseph 'abolishes' Hungary - is dethroned in turn | General Görgey frustrates rapid Austrian victory; Tsar agrees to send Russian army to help against 'rebels'. |
| 1849 | Görgey lays down arms at Világos (August) | Surrenders to Russians not Haynau; 13 Hungarian generals & ex-Prime Minister Batthány executed. |
| 1849-67 | Oppresive direct rule from Austria: the Bach Period | Kossuth & thousands in emmigration; many thousands imprisoned; strict censorship; memories & stagnation. |
| 1867 | The Compromise is agreed between nation and Crown | Due to Francis Deák 'sage of the nation', it sets up the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy; coronation. |
| 1914 | Hungary dragged into war against Serbia | Despite objections of Prime Minister Tisza, to avenge killing of disliked heir to throne Francis Ferdinand. |
| 1918-19 | Revolutionary chaos in wake of defeat | Shortlived republic of Michael Károlyi; Czechs & Rumanians invade; brief Bolshevik rule of Béla Kún. |
| 1920 | Horthy Regent; bitter dictated Treaty of Trianon | Parliament makes Horthy Regent; Treaty of Trianon removes 70% of territory & 50%+ of population. |
| 1941 | Under German pressure war declared on Soviet Union | End of neutrality, but remains haven for Poles & for PoWs escaped from Germany; Jews not persecuted. |
| 1944 | Attempt to switch sides, German occupation, Arrow Cross terror | Ill-prepared attempt to join Allies leads to military occupation; Holocaust extended to Hungary; crypto-Nazi Arrow Cross leader Szállasi takes over. |
| 1945 | 'Liberation' by Red Army: foundation for Communist future | Red Army loots and rapes its way across country; Budapest besieged for 2 months; Russians remove whatever Germans have not destroyed. |
| 1949 | Hungary declared Soviet-style Peoples Republic | Rule of Communist Party & Stalinist leader Rákosi; their KGB-trained Secrity Forces arrest, torture, kill. |
| 1956 | Hungary rises in popular revolt against Soviet-Communist rule | Demands: democracy, neutrality, departure of Soviet troops; old-Communist Imre Nagy accepts aims & Premiership; crushed by Soviets who install Kádár. |
| 1989 | The Communist Party relinquishes overt power | Pozsgay declares 1956 a popular uprising; Premier Németh opens Austrian border to East Germans; Round Table meetings with opposition discuss transition. |
| 1990 | Free multi-party elections eliminate Communists | Right-of-centre coallition government of election victor Joseph Antall embarks on turning Hungary back into free market democracy. |
| --------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
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