A HONVÉDSÉG SZERVEZÉSE ERDÉLYBEN 1849-BEN

In June 1848 was started in Transylvania the recruitment and organization of the first four Hungarian battalions, located in Cluj, Târgu Mureș, Deva, and Făgăraș (numbers 11–14). Most of the work was done by the superior council, under the coordination of government commissioner Baron Miklós Vay, receiving the donations of civilians for the purpose. Based on the ordinance of the Ministry of War, the Transylvanian high command gave all the necessary support, which in those times meant the relocation of Hungarian-speaking officers and warrant officers to the recruiting centres. In the second part of July the organization of the battalions was taken over by colonel Károly Dobai, leader of the 15th battalion (the 2nd Székely battalion), but at the beginning of October, due to tension between the Hungarian government and the Court of Vienna, the high command withdrew the support of recruitment, denying the delivering of weapons and other equipment. On October 18 lieutenant-general Baron Anton Pucher, superior commander of Transylvania declared a state of siege, starting the disarmament of the Hungarian battalions. On December 25 1848 the Hungarian troops led by General Bem occupied the city of Cluj, then on January 12 1849 they entered Târgu Mureș. Thus Northern Transylvania and Székelyföld re-entered Hungarian administration. The Hungarian military and civilian leadership had the opportunity to reorganize the military forces. The present study offers a review of the organization of the Hungarian Army in the year 1849