Körmöczi Katalin szerk.: Historical Exhibition of the Hungarian National Museum 3 - From the End of the Turkish Wars to the Millennium - The history of Hungary in the 18th and 19th centuries (Budapest, 2001)
ROOM 12. Revolution and War of Independence in 1848-49 "I Fall on My Knees Before the Greatness of the Nation" (Lajos Kossuth) (Katalin Körmöczi - Tibor Kovács S.)
cided to besiege Buda. The final assault took place on May 21 and after a short resistance the imperial troops laid down their arms. Under the leadership of General Mór Perczel, honvéd troops liberated the Bacska and Temesköz regions. As a result of the Hungarian victories, Emperor Francis Joseph I requested miliary assistance from Tsar Nicolas I. This he received, and from June 1849 onwards the honvéd army had to contend with tsarist troops entering the country from Galicia and the Bukovina. Many relics commemorate the military and civilian leaders of the war of independence, their struggles and their work. József Bern's ceremonial sword, with gilded silver fittings and coral ornamentation, was presented to the Polish general by the women of Kolozsvár (Cluj) (Fig. 37). The etched blade of Artúr Görgey 's 1845-pattern cavalry officer's sword is ornamented with an inscription referring to March 15, 1848. At the base of the broad handguard there is a lens, used by the short-sighted Görgey when reading maps (Fig. 38). A pistol set which belonged to János Damjanich, who was of Serb descent, is also exhibited (Fig. 39). We have also shown two ceremonial swords and one service sword, worn during military operations, which once belonged to Lajos Kossuth, governor-president of the country and the inspiration of the independence war. Beside the weapons, visitors can see seals used by the foreign legions and by generals Lázár Mészáros, Richárd Guyon, Károly Vécsey, and Antal Vetter. In the glass-case, there are decorations awarded in the war of independence, and also commemorative medals showing outstanding figures in the battles. Beneath the glass-case is the military money-chest used by General József Bern. By July 1849 the situation of the Hungarian honvéd army had become critical. The capital had been evacuated at the beginning of June, and the government offices had moved to Szeged. The allied forces scored victories over the Hungarian troops in every theatre of war. The decisive blow to the Hungarian honvéd troops was dealt at Temesvár (Timisoara) on August 9, by an imperial army commanded by Haynau. Because of the critical situation, Lajos Kossuth invested Artúr Görgey with full powers, and then resigned. Görgey 's forces were now caught between Haynau's Austrians and the Russians under Paskievich. Choosing the lesser evil, General Görgey surrendered unconditionally to the tsarist troops at Világos (Siria) on July 13, 1849. Thus began the general capitulation. The exception was the most important fortification, the castle at Komárom defended by 20,000 men under General Klapka. Having secured an amnesty for the entire garrison, Klapka opened the castle gates to the imperial troops on October 2. After the capitulation, serious reprisals took place, principally directed against the former soldiers of the honvéd army.
