The United Romanian Principalities’ press and the union of Transylvania with Hungary. Debates, reactions and opinions (1860-1861)

The United Romanian Principalities’ press and the union of Transylvania with Hungary. Debates, reactions and opinions (1860-1861)

 

Author: Mircea-Cristian GHENGHEA
Keywords: Transylvania, union, Hungary, Hungarian empire, press, United Principalities

During the Habsburg liberalist period, the nations and nationalities within the Austrian empire seemed to achieve most of their objectives that were vital for their future development. The Romanians in Transylvania had great hopes regarding the changes that took place in 1860-1861. Nevertheless the beginnings of the liberalist period also allowed the reissuing of a very delicate and important question – the union of Transylvania with Hungary. For different reasons, both Romanians and Hungarians considered this aspect as a matter of death and life. For about a year (from the second half of 1860 until the middle of 1861), the question practically became a common place in the press of both sides.
The Romanian journalists and politicians in the United Principalities also took action in front of the danger that threatened their co-nationals in Transylvania, a fact that can be easily proved by appealing to the pages of the gazettes of those years. One can even talk about a real press campaign in order to support the efforts of the Romanians in Transylvania to reject the union.
One of the ideas that were discussed in the Romanian press of that time was the one referring to the attempt of creating a Hungarian empire in Central and South-East Europe. From this point of view, the mastery of Transylvania had a tremendous importance, this region being regarded as the pillar of the projected imperial construction.