János Damjanich
Encyclopedia
János Damjanich was a Hungarian general of Serb origin. He is considered a national hero in Hungary
.
He never lost on the battlefield.
(Serbian: Straža, Hungarian: Strázsa) in Banat
(today in Serbia) or in Staza in Banija
(today in Croatia). He entered the army as an officer in the 61st regiment of foot, and on the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolt of 1848 was promoted to be a major
in the third Honvéd battalion at Szeged. Although an Orthodox Serb
, he was from the first a devoted adherent of the Hungarian liberals
.
His ability and valour at the battles of Alisbrunn
(Serbian: Alibunar, Hungarian: Alibunár) and Lagerdorf in 1848 led to his promotion to colonel
. At the beginning of 1849, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Army Corps in the middle Tisza
, and quickly gained the reputation of being the bravest man in the Hungarian army.
In March 1849 he annihilated a brigade at Szolnok
, perhaps his greatest exploit. He was elected deputy for Szolnok to the Diet of Hungary
, but declined the honor. Damjanich played a leading part in the general advance upon the Hungarian capital under Artúr Görgey
.
The engagements of Hort
and Hatvan
, along with the bloody battle of Isaszeg
turned Damjanich into a national hero. At the ensuing review at Gödöllő
, Lajos Kossuth
expressed the sentiments of the whole nation when he doffed his hat as Damjanich's battalions passed by.
Damjanich uncompromisingly supported the views of Kossuth
, and was appointed commander of one of the three divisions which, under Görgey, entered Vác
in April 1849. His fame reached its height when, on April 19, he won the battle of Nagysalló, which led to the relief of the fortress of Komárom
.
At this juncture Damjanich broke his leg, an accident which prevented him from taking part in field operations at the most critical period of the war, when the Magyars had to abandon the capital for the second time. He recovered sufficiently, however, to accept the post of commandant of the fortress of Arad
.
After the Surrender at Világos
(now Şiria, Romania), Damjanich, on being summoned to surrender, declared he would give up the fortress to a single company of Cossack
s, but would defend it to the last drop of his blood against the whole Austria
n army. He accordingly surrendered to the Russia
n general Dmitry Buturlin, by whom he was handed over to the Austrians, and he became one of the 13 Martyrs of Arad
on October 6, 1849. He was last but one in line to be executed, where he said his famous last words: I believed I would be the last, because I was always the first in battle. My poor Emily! Long live Hungary!
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
He never lost on the battlefield.
Life
Damjanich was born in LagerdorfStraža (Vršac)
Straža or Straja is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Vršac municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province...
(Serbian: Straža, Hungarian: Strázsa) in Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
(today in Serbia) or in Staza in Banija
Banija
Banovina is a geographical region in central Croatia, between the rivers Sava, Una, and Kupa. Main towns in the region include Petrinja, Glina, Kostajnica, and Dvor. The area is almost entirely located in the Sisak-Moslavina county...
(today in Croatia). He entered the army as an officer in the 61st regiment of foot, and on the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolt of 1848 was promoted to be a major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the third Honvéd battalion at Szeged. Although an Orthodox Serb
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
, he was from the first a devoted adherent of the Hungarian liberals
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
.
His ability and valour at the battles of Alisbrunn
Alibunar
Alibunar is a town and municipality in South Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. Alibunar town has a population of 3,402, and Alibunar municipality 22,856.-Name:...
(Serbian: Alibunar, Hungarian: Alibunár) and Lagerdorf in 1848 led to his promotion to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. At the beginning of 1849, he was appointed commander of the 3rd Army Corps in the middle Tisza
Tisza
The Tisza or Tisa is one of the main rivers of Central Europe. It rises in Ukraine, and is formed near Rakhiv by the junction of headwaters White Tisa, whose source is in the Chornohora mountains and Black Tisa, which springs in the Gorgany range...
, and quickly gained the reputation of being the bravest man in the Hungarian army.
In March 1849 he annihilated a brigade at Szolnok
Szolnok
Szolnok is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in central Hungary. Its location on the banks of the Tisza river, at the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, has made it an important cultural and economic crossroads for centuries....
, perhaps his greatest exploit. He was elected deputy for Szolnok to the Diet of Hungary
Diet of Hungary
The Diet of Hungary was a legislative institution in the medieval kingdom of Hungary from the 15th century, and in its successor states, Royal Hungary and the Habsburg kingdom of Hungary throughout the Early Modern period...
, but declined the honor. Damjanich played a leading part in the general advance upon the Hungarian capital under Artúr Görgey
Artúr Görgey
----Artúr Görgey de Görgő et Toporcz was a Hungarian military leader.He was born at Toporz in Upper Hungary of a Hungarian noble family of originally Zipser German descent who immigrated to Upper Hungary during the reign of king Géza II . During the reformation they were converted to Protestantism...
.
The engagements of Hort
Hort
Hort is a surname, and may refer to:Gabriel Hort* Erik Hort* Fenton John Anthony Hort , Irish theologian* Josiah Hort* Hort Baronets* Vlastimil Hort...
and Hatvan
Hatvan
Hatvan is a town in Heves county, Hungary. Hatvan is the Hungarian word for "sixty". Hatvan is located at around ....
, along with the bloody battle of Isaszeg
Isaszeg
Isaszeg is a town in Pest county, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary. It has a population of 10,979 .-Sightseeing:On the top of the cemetery hill stands the old parochial church of the village. It was last rebuilt in gothic style. However, the foundations of the old rotunda is visible north and...
turned Damjanich into a national hero. At the ensuing review at Gödöllő
Gödöllo
Gödöllő is a town situated in Pest county, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary, about northeast from the outskirts of Budapest. Its population is about 31,000 according to the 2001 census. It can be easily reached from Budapest with the suburban railway . Gödöllő is home to the Szent István...
, Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
expressed the sentiments of the whole nation when he doffed his hat as Damjanich's battalions passed by.
Damjanich uncompromisingly supported the views of Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
, and was appointed commander of one of the three divisions which, under Görgey, entered Vác
Vác
Vác is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spellings of the name are Vacz and Vacs.-Location:...
in April 1849. His fame reached its height when, on April 19, he won the battle of Nagysalló, which led to the relief of the fortress of Komárom
Komárom
Komárom is a city in Hungary on the right bank of the Danube in Komárom-Esztergom county.The city of Komárom was formerly a separate suburban village called...
.
At this juncture Damjanich broke his leg, an accident which prevented him from taking part in field operations at the most critical period of the war, when the Magyars had to abandon the capital for the second time. He recovered sufficiently, however, to accept the post of commandant of the fortress of Arad
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
.
After the Surrender at Világos
Surrender at Világos
The Surrender at Világos took place on 13 August 1849 at Világos, and formally ended the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. After it, Julius Jacob von Haynau became the regent of Hungary and took bloody reprisals against Hungary...
(now Şiria, Romania), Damjanich, on being summoned to surrender, declared he would give up the fortress to a single company of Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
s, but would defend it to the last drop of his blood against the whole Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n army. He accordingly surrendered to the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n general Dmitry Buturlin, by whom he was handed over to the Austrians, and he became one of the 13 Martyrs of Arad
The 13 Martyrs of Arad
The 13 Martyrs of Arad were the thirteen Hungarian rebel honvéd generals who were executed on October 6, 1849 in the city of Arad, Kingdom of Hungary , after the Hungarian Revolution was ended by troops of the Austrian Empire and Imperial Russia, who reestablished Habsburg rule over the area...
on October 6, 1849. He was last but one in line to be executed, where he said his famous last words: I believed I would be the last, because I was always the first in battle. My poor Emily! Long live Hungary!