On January 13, 1847, Archduke Joseph died. His twenty-nine-year-old son Stephen inherited his father's title and often used his privileges to grant pardons, making the situation in Hungary increasingly chaotic.
He had shown boundless sympathy for the Poles during the Galician uprising, even writing poems to praise their unyielding spirit. For a time, he was known as "Good" Stephen.
In 1848, while the various factions in Hungary hesitated, Archduke Stephen convened an emergency meeting in Pressburg. He unified their views, established the policy of forming an independent Hungarian government, and passed reforms to the counties, expanded representation for the Hungarian people, and even proposed merging with Transylvania.
In truth, "annexation" would have been a more accurate word. The Transylvanians had almost no rights, and their very identity was barely recognized. In Archduke Stephen's plan, there were only Hungarians and peoples who embraced Hungarian ideals.
Historically, he made an even more MVP-worthy move during the March Revolution.
Using his royal status and privileges, Archduke Stephen bypassed the entire Austrian Empire government and got the ailing Ferdinand I to sign a declaration, legalizing Hungary's independent reforms outright.
The Imperial Decree issued on March 17, 1848, allowed Hungary to form its own government, answerable to the Hungarian Parliament, and appointed Archduke Stephen as the emperor's plenipotentiary, granting him control over the reforms.
Archduke Stephen immediately appointed Batthyany as his prime minister, pushing the Hungarian Revolution to its climax.
But that wasn't all. On the eve of war, Archduke Stephen and Batthyany successfully arranged for the Hungarians to take Pressburg at minimal cost.
Archduke Stephen deserved the lion's share of the credit for the Hungarian army reaching the outskirts of Vienna in 1848.
Pressburg was as important to Vienna as Hangu Pass was to Qin. Imagine if Qin had lost Hangu Pass at the