Lajos
Kossuth
was
born in Monok, Hungary, in 1802. A
lawyer with radical political views, he was constantly in trouble
with the authorities and in 1837 was imprisoned for publishing attacks
on the government.
After being released in 1840 Kossuth became editor of the
Pesti
Hirlap.
Elected to the Hungarian Diet, Kossuth became the leader of the extreme
liberals and after the French Revolution of 1848 demanded an independent
government for Hungary.
When Austria and Hungary went to war at the end of 1848 Kossuth became
provisional governor of the country. The following year Kossuth declared
Hungary's independence with himself as president. Hungary managed
to repulse the Austrian Army but the regime collapsed when Russia
joined the war.
Kossuth fled to Turkey where he was made a prisoner until being released
in September, 1851. Later that year he moved to the United States
where he joined a group of Hungarian political refugees who had established
the community of New Buda in Decatur County, Iowa. Over the next few
years Kossuth also lived in England and Italy.
Despite his strenuous efforts, Kossuth was unable to return to power
in Hungary. In his retirement he completed his three volume work,
Memories
of my Exile.
Lajos
Kossuth
died in 1894.
Available from Amazon Books
(order below)
