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 9. The Rákóczi War of Independence and the Anti -Turkish Wars at the Beginning of the 18th Century (Gábor Németh)

On a wall in the room, visitors may read another well-known slogan from the Rákóczi war of independence: CUM DEO PRO PATRIA ET LIBERTATE - With God for Homeland and Liberty. THE COMPLETE LIBERATION OF HUNGARY FROM TURKISH RULE AND THE AUSTRO-TURKISH WAR (1716-18) By the end of the 17th century, most of Hungary had been liberated from the Turks. From being a once-threatened "border town", Vienna now became the centre of a great empire whose forces successfully liberated the entire territory of the country. The final expulsion of the Turks came about as a result of the Austro-Turkish War of 1716-18. The campaign, in which overall command was exercised by Prince Eugene of Savoy and in which the Hungarian troops were led by János Pálffy, ended in triumph. In victory after victory, the imperial forces freed the areas still in Turkish hands. In 1716, they scored a magnificent victory at Pétervárad (Novi Sad), captured Belgrade (Beograd) and liberated Temesvár (Timisoara), which had been under Turkish rule for 160 years. On July 21, 1718, following English and Dutch mediation, the Peace of Pozsarevác (Pozarevac) was signed. By the terms of this, the Porte lost the Temes region; the northern part of Bosnia and Serbia, together with Belgrade; and the western regions of Wallachia. (Many of the arquisitions beyond Hungary's borders the Turks were able to reconquer in the war of 1736-1739.) Despite the protestations of the Estates, the Court in Vienna did not return to Hungary the territories recovered in the south, but placed them under military administration, creating a Border Region directed subordinated to Vienna. The Temes district (the Banate of Temes) was placed under the control of the Hofkriegsrat. The Court attempted to use the Southern Slav population against the Hungarians. Consequently, the Border District became a long-standing source of tensions. A large battle picture, the work of an unknown painter, dominates the period showing the wars against the Turks. This shows the siege of Belgrade in 1717. The hero of the war was Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), who was at the same time the greatest strategist of the age and a talented statesman (Fig. 9). His career as a general was inseparable from the wars against the Turks. He was one of the commanders of the troops which relieved Vienna in 1683, and later took part in the recapture of Buda. The magnificent victories over the Turks in subsequent years were all linked with his name. He also fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. Prince Eugene of Savoy's efforts greatly contributed to the consolidation of Austria's position as a great power. The military drums are from the early 18th century. Next to them is a large war-chest, much strengthened with iron; this is from the period of the Rákóczi war of independence struggles. After these, mementos of the Rákóczi emigration are shown. Valuable historical relics are the painted Baroque armchair and candlesticks carved from limewood and richly embellished with bunches of fruit and flowers; these pieces the