Aster Revolution

The Aster Revolution or Chrysanthemum Revolution was a revolution in Hungary led by Count Mihály Károlyi. It happened after World War I and led to the creation of the First Hungarian People's Republic.

The revolution began because of many protests that grew as the war continued. Mihály Károlyi became the leader of the new government, called the First Hungarian People's Republic. This government existed from November 16, 1918, to March 21, 1919.

Many of Károlyi's supporters were soldiers who had returned home from the war. They chose the flower called the aster to represent their movement. After the revolution succeeded, Hungary announced it was independent from the larger country, Austria-Hungary, which then ended its existence.

Background

In late 1918, World War I was not going well for the Central Powers, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and others. By July, a big German attack had failed. Austria also lost battles against Italy. In September, the Entente powers — countries fighting against the Central Powers — pushed through to victory in another area, and Bulgaria had to give up.

Romania and Italy had been promised land if they joined the war. There were also many different ideas about what should happen to Austria-Hungary. Leaders from the Entente powers, like Woodrow Wilson, wanted nations within the empire to have more control over their own affairs. As the war continued, many groups within Austria-Hungary, such as the Czechs and Southern Slavs, wanted to become independent countries.

Emperor Charles tried to save his empire by allowing National Councils to form and by promising to make the Austrian part of the empire more like a group of separate states. However, this did not stop the empire from falling apart. By the end of October, many groups had announced they would split from Austria-Hungary.

In Hungary, the government changed on October 17 when the old agreement with Austria was ended. The former prime minister István Tisza told the Parliament that the war was lost, and the current leader could not handle the situation, so he stepped down on October 23.

Emperor Charles wanted to name Mihály Károlyi as the new leader of Hungary to help bring peace, but he listened to other important Hungarian politicians and did not do so right away. During this time, an Archduke was named the governor of Hungary.

On October 24, the Entente powers started their last big attack on the Italian front. Hungarian soldiers, whose army was already breaking apart, started returning home, which made things even more unstable in the streets.

Events

On October 23, 1918, after the resignation of the leader of Hungary, a group of people formed the Hungarian National Council. Important leaders included Mihály Károlyi and others who wanted change. They set up their base in a hotel in Budapest.

Soon after, soldiers also formed their own group. By October 28, many people in Budapest were protesting and wanted Károlyi to be the new leader. During one protest, police tried to stop the crowd, which led to some injuries but only made people more determined.

On October 30, soldiers in Budapest began supporting the National Council. They took over important places in the city and freed people who were jailed for their beliefs. The old leader of Hungary resigned after just 17 hours in office, and Károlyi became the new leader. Though the change was not officially recognized at first, Károlyi soon led a new government.

As the revolution continued, some areas saw unrest and confusion as people tried to protect their communities. Different groups formed to keep order, and the situation remained tense through the end of 1918.

Aftermath

After World War I, Hungary’s leader, Mihály Károlyi, helped create a new government called the Hungarian People's Republic on November 16, 1918. Both parts of the Hungarian parliament ended, and a new council was formed to help lead the country.

Károlyi decided to disarm the army, following a request from the U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. This left Hungary without protection when nearby countries wanted to take control of parts of Hungary. Sadly, this led to Hungary losing much of its land and facing occupation by other armies. In March 1919, a new group called the Communists took over, creating the Hungarian Soviet Republic, but this government did not last long.

History

Timeline

The Aster Revolution, also called the Chrysanthemum Revolution, happened in Hungary after World War I. It was led by Count Mihály Károlyi. This revolution led to the start of the First Hungarian People's Republic, which existed from November 16, 1918, to March 21, 1919. Many people in Hungary were unhappy during the war, and their protests helped bring about this change.