[A century old trial: the Gorgey-controversy once and today]

Artur Gorgey (1818-1916) seems to remain one of the most disputed figures of Hungarian historiography and literature. The former officer of the Habsburg Imperial Army, who changed his military career for lectureship in chemistry, joined the Hungarian Armed forces in 1848. He was soon promoted to general and later (when still only 31 years old), commander-in-chief of the revolutionary forces. In August 1849 he capitulated the Russian intervention army, which outnumbered twice the Hungarian, and by so doing he put an end to the Hungarian war of independence. Although the capitulation was reasoned by military, economic and political necessities, it was immediately questioned by many, most of all by Kossuth. Kossuth, who was equally clear with the hopelessness of the struggle, transferred the supreme power to Gorgey and then fled the country. The idea was, perhaps, to keep the political leadership untouched by the humiliation that the capitulation would obviously bring about. Nevertheless when he had arrived in Turkey he blamed Gorgey for the defeat and called him a traitor. For Kossuth was becoming an almost mythical national hero his opinion was very much influential and this opened a long dispute and aversion to Gorgey's decision.