Succession treaty in Hungary
The Hungarian king
Charles III by which the Diet recognized the king's daughters (failing which his nieces and sisters) as possible heirs to the throne in return for considerable privileges. It was a protracted affair but had lasting consequences, especially in relation to the
Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867
Background
The future succession to the throne of the
King Joseph I, on the
Mutual Pact of Succession in 1703. The Mutual Pact provided for female succession to the
Habsburg monarchy in the event of extinction of the male line, but gave precedence to the daughters of the older rather than surviving brother. Charles wished to secure all his hereditary realms for his own daughter, should he have any.
Hungarian objections
Refusing to make constitutional concessions, Charles failed to gain the Hungarian approval during the 1712 negotiations. The Croatian estates, despite their centuries long association with Hungary, issued their own
Pragmatic Sanction in 1712, unilaterally approving Charles's intention and causing Hungarian discontent. Charles formalized his intention by issuing the
Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, emphasizing the indivisibility of the Habsburg domains and the rights of his future daughters.
At the assembly of the Diet of Hungary in 1715, Charles agreed that the Diet should
elect a king if he died without a male heir. He was still hoping for a son; a male child was indeed born in 1716 but died the same year.
By the end of the 1710s, Charles had been left with only two children, daughters named
great powers of Europe. Charles's intentions were not yet accepted by all of his realms, however, with the
County of Tyrol and the
Kingdom of Hungary objecting. The Hungarians believed that the 1687 agreement to hereditary succession by male Habsburgs already went too far and opposed extending it to Habsburg women, preferring instead to revert to an elective monarchy. The
Kingdom of Croatia and the
Principality of Transylvania, two separately administered
lands of the Hungarian Crown, autonomously approved the King's will in 1721 and 1722 respectively.
Agreement
In 1722, Charles led informal discussions with the Hungarians, placating them with numerous land grants. When the Diet assembled in
Pozsony, gave a rousing speech in the King's favor, unexpectedly securing the lower house's support. The
upper house followed suit.
The Diet thus agreed in 1723 to extend the succession rights to the daughters of Charles III (Maria Theresa and Maria Anna), followed by the daughters of Joseph I (Maria Josepha and Maria Amalia), and finally by the daughters of
Maria Magdalena). Royal elections were to resume if these lines were to go extinct. The Diet agreed that Hungary was inseparable from the rest of the Habsburg monarchy and emphasized the need for common action, especially when it came to defense. In return, Charles solemnly reconfirmed the rights of the
estates of the realm and in particular those of the
Hungarian nobility.
The Pragmatic Sanction of 1723 had great impact on the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. The Hungarian statesman Ferenc Deák argued that, according to the Pragmatic Sanction of 1723, constitutional governing of Hungary was a prerequisite of the Habsburg rule over Hungary. The foreign policy and defense, as well as financing them, were the most important joint affairs of Austria-Hungary, the resulting dual monarchy, to be based on the Pragmatic Sanction of 1723.
See also
References
Bibliography
