A few days after the event, photography and video of the event will be made available on the VERITAS website. Please be informed that photographs and videos of earlier VERITAS Debate Nights may also be accessed in archived format on our website.
Location: VERITAS Research Institute and Archives, Zsil utca (Street) 2–4, Budapest
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Born in 1872, Archduke Joseph August was a member of the so-called Hungarian branch of the Habsburg dynasty. His grandfather Archduke Joseph Anton Johann, Palatine of Hungary, had been one of the most prominent figures of the Reform Era, while his uncle Stephan was the last Palatine. By 1914, Joseph August had earned the rank of Lieutenant General. As a result of his military service during the Belle Époque, he had become acquainted with the military strength of the Monarchy.
As the Great War progressed, Joseph August served in all four of the Monarchy’s theaters of war. Among the highest levels of military leadership, only Field Marshal Hermann Kövess could make a similar boast. Following the bloody battles in Serbia and in the Carpathians, he was assigned to defend Doberdò at the helm of the (Temesvár) Seventh Army. It was there that he became familiar with the Hungarian fighters, who gave him the moniker of “Grandpa Joseph”. With the coronation of Charles IV, Joseph August found himself in the center of Hungarian politics. Though he turned down the role of prime minister, he fought on behalf of broadening electoral law. In Hungarian matters, Charles IV always leaned on him, which was the reason why Charles IV named him as a royal procurator in October 1918.
Despite the fact that the Archduke swore to defend the First Hungarian People's Republic, the poor condition of the army soon led to his disenchantment. The Hungarian Soviet Republic (HSR) interned him at his former estate in Alcsút, which had been “socialized”. There he endeavored as a lumberjack. Following the collapse of the short-lived HSR, he led the country as regent for two weeks in August 1919, more precisely what remained of Hungary following the loss of her territories. The Entente Powers forced him to resign, after which his political career would never again reach the heights of 1917–1919. In addition to discussing Charles IV’s two attempts at reclaiming power in 1921, the debate participants highlight the most intriguing decade of Joseph August’s long and interesting life: the years between 1914 and 1924. He was a statesman whose achievements deserve to be better known among the general public.
