István Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Public Works and Transport | |
| In office 23 March 1848 – 4 September 1848 | |
| Preceded by | office created |
| Succeeded by | László Csány |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1791-09-21)21 September 1791 |
| Died | 8 April 1860(1860-04-08) (aged 68) |
| Spouse | Crescence Seilern |
| Children | Béla Ödön Júlia |
| Parent(s) | Ferenc Széchényi Julianna Festetics |
| Profession | Politician |
Count István Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék (Hungarian:sárvár-felsővidéki gróf Széchenyi István,pronounced[ˈʃɑ̈ˑrvɑ̈ˑrˌfelʃøˑvidɛːkiˌɡroːfˈse̝ːt͡ʃe̝ːɲiˌiʃtvɑ̈ːn]; archaically English:Stephen Széchenyi; 21 September 1791 – 8 April 1860) was a Hungarian politician, political theorist, and writer. Widely considered one of the greateststatesmen in his nation's history, within Hungary he is still known to many as "the Greatest Hungarian".[1]
Széchenyi was born inVienna to CountFerenc Széchényi and Countess JuliánaFestetics de Tolna; he was the youngest of their two daughters and three sons. TheSzéchenyis were an old and influential noble family ofHungary. Traditionally loyal to theHouse of Habsburg, they were linked with noble families, such as theLiechtenstein, theHouse of Esterházy and theHouse of Lobkowicz. István Széchenyi's father was an enlightened aristocrat who founded theHungarian National Museum and theHungarian National Library. The boy spent his childhood both in Vienna and on the family estate ofNagycenk, Hungary.[citation needed]
After his private education, the young Széchenyi joined the Austrian army and participated in theNapoleonic Wars. He was seventeen years old when he entered the army. He fought with distinction at thebattle of Raab (14 June 1809) and on 19 July brought about the subsequent junction of the two Austrian armies by conveying a message across the Danube to GeneralChasteler at the risk of his life.
Equally memorable was his famous ride, through the enemy's lines on the night of 16–17 October 1813, to convey toBlücher andBernadotte the wishes of the two emperors that they should participate in thebattle of Leipzig on the following day, at a given time and place. In May 1815 he was transferred to Italy, and at thebattle of Tolentino scatteredMurat's bodyguards by a dashing cavalry charge.[2]
He left the service as a captain in 1826 (after his promotion to major was turned down)[3] and turned his interest towards politics.
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From September 1815 to 1821, Széchenyi traveled extensively in Europe, visiting France, England, Italy, Greece and theLevant, and studying their institutions.[2] He also established important personal connections. The rapid modernization of Britain fascinated him the most, and strongly influenced his thinking. He was also impressed with theCanal du Midi in France, and began to envision ways to improve navigation on the lowerDanube andTisza.[2]
The Count quickly became aware of the growing gap between the modern world and his native Hungary. For the rest of his life, he was a determined reformer and promoted development. Széchenyi found early political support from his friend, BaronMiklós Wesselényi, a noble fromTransylvania; however, their relation later weakened.[4]
Széchenyi gained a wider reputation in 1825, by supporting the proposal of the representative of Sopron county,Pál Nagy, to establish theHungarian Academy of Sciences; Széchenyi donated the full annual income of his estates that year, 60,000forints, towards it. His example brought donations of 58,000 forint from three other wealthy nobles,[2] and they gained Royal approval for the academy. He wanted to promote the use of the Hungarian language in this effort. S. became the Academy's 1st Vice-president (the President being the Palatine). While the progress of Hungary & its language was S.'s main point he aimed at greater things: In his 1st Vice-presidential address to the Academy he reminded his countrymen "now that they have established their own Academy" of their duty to support the other countries theoretically under the "crown of St. Stephen" [Croats, Czechs, Slovaks, etc.] in their own pursuits of "sound nationalism". This was an important milestone in his life and for the reform movement.
In 1827, he organized theNemzeti Kaszinó, or National Casino, a forum for the patriotic Hungarian nobility. The Casino had an important role in the reform movement by providing an institute for political dialogues.[citation needed]
To reach a wider public, Széchenyi decided to publish his ideas. His series of political writings, theHitel (Credit, 1830), theVilág, (Light, 1831), and theStádium (1833), addressed theHungarian nobility. He condemned their conservatism and encouraged them to give up feudal privileges (e.g. free of taxation status), and act as the driving elite for modernization.[citation needed]
Széchenyi (with the help of Austrian ship's companyErste Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaft (DDSG) ), established the Óbuda Shipyard on the HungarianHajógyári Island in 1835, which was the first industrial scale steamship building company in the Habsburg Empire.[5]
Széchenyi envisioned his program for Hungary within the framework of theHabsburg monarchy.[6] He was convinced that Hungary initially needed a gradual economic, social and cultural development; he opposed both undue radicalism and nationalism. The latter he found particularly dangerous within the multi-ethnic Kingdom of Hungary, where people were divided by ethnicity, language and religion.
Besides his comprehensive political ideas, he concentrated on the development of transportation infrastructure, as he understood its importance for development and communication. Part of this program was the regulation of the flow of waters of the lowerDanube to improve navigation, to open it to commercial shipping and trade fromBuda to theBlack Sea.[2] He became the leading figure of theDanube Navigation Committee by the early 1830s, which completed its work in ten years. Previously the river had been dangerous for ships and was not efficient as an international trading route. Széchenyi was the first to promotesteamboats on the Danube, the Tisza (Theiss), andLake Balaton, also measures to open up Hungary to trade and development.[2]
Recognizing the potential for the project for the region, Széchenyi successfully lobbied in Vienna to gain Austrian financial and political support. He was appointed as high commissioner and supervised the works for years. During this period, he traveled toConstantinople and built up relations in the Balkan area.[citation needed]
He wanted to develop Buda and Pest as a major political, economic and cultural center of Hungary. He supported the construction of the first permanent bridge between the two cities, theChain Bridge. Besides its improving transportation connections, the Chain Bridge was a symbolic structure, foreshadowing the later unification of the two cities asBudapest, connected across rather than divided by the river.[citation needed]
In 1836 at the age of 45, Széchenyi marriedCountess Crescencia von Seilern und Aspang in Buda. They had three children:[7]
Béla Széchenyi became known for his wide travels and explorations in theEast Indies, Japan, China,Java,Borneo, westernMongolia, and the frontiers ofTibet. In 1893, he published an account of his experiences, written in German.[8]
His relations withLajos Kossuth were not good: he always thought Kossuth was a political agitator who overplayed his popularity. Széchenyi, although in a minority, continued to counsel for caution in the Diet and other meetings. In March 1848, he accepted the portfolio of ways and communications "in the first responsible Magyar administration" underLajos Batthyány, but he feared the disruption of revolution.[2]
In his 1841 pamphletPeople of the East (Kelet Népe), Count Széchenyi responded to Kossuth's reform proposals. Széchenyi believed that economic, political and social reforms should proceed slowly and with care, to avoid the potentially disastrous prospect of violent interference from the Habsburg dynasty. Széchenyi was aware of the spread of Kossuth's ideas in Hungarian society, which he took to overlook the need for a good relationship with the Habsburg dynasty.[citation needed]
Kossuth, for his part, rejected the role of the aristocracy, and questioned established norms of social status. In contrast to Széchenyi, Kossuth believed that in the process of social reform it would be impossible to restrain civil society in a passive role. He warned against attempting to exclude wider social movements from political life, and supported democracy, rejecting the primacy of elites and the government. In 1885, he labeled Széchenyi a liberal elitist aristocrat, while Széchenyi considered Kossuth to be a democrat.[9]
Széchenyi was an isolationist politician, while Kossuth saw strong relations and collaboration with international liberal and progressive movements as essential for the success of liberty.[10]
Széchenyi based his economic policy on thelaissez-faire principles practiced by theBritish Empire, while Kossuth supported protective tariffs due to the comparatively weak Hungarian industrial sector. While Kossuth envisioned the construction of a rapidly industrialized country, Széchenyi wanted to preserve the traditionally strong agricultural sector as the main characteristic of the economy.[11]
TheHungarian Revolution of 1848 developed in the direction of Hungary attempting to break away from Habsburg rule, an attempt eventually crushed with severe repression by the Austrian authorities – both of which very much contrary to Széchenyi's way of thinking and his vision for Hungary's future. In early September 1848, Széchenyi's nervous state brought depression and a breakdown; his doctor ordered him to the private Asylum of Dr.Gustav Görgen inOberdöbling. With his wife's care, he gradually recovered enough to resume writing but did not return to politics. He wrote the bookÖnismeret (Self awareness) about children, education and pedagogy. He also wroteEin Blick (One Look),[2] a study of the deep political problems of Hungary at the beginning of the 1850s.[citation needed]
Still suffering from depression, Széchenyi committed suicide by a gunshot to his head on 8 April 1860, at the age of 68.[2] (8 April was the anniversary of the death of the Hungarian national heroFrancis II Rákóczi, a century earlier). All Hungary mourned Széchenyi's death. The academy was in official mourning, along with the most prominent persons of the leading political and cultural associations (including countsJózsef Eötvös,János Arany, and Károly Szász). His rival Kossuth said he was "the greatest of the Magyars".[2]
Attribution:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). "Széchenyi, Istvan, Count".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). p. 318.
Media related toIstván Széchenyi at Wikimedia Commons| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by office created | Minister of Public Works and Transport 1848 | Succeeded by |
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 Leaders for Austria | |
 Leaders for Hungary | |
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