The Diet of Sárospatak
The call for the third Diet of the Kuruc uprising was prompted by the deterioration of the war situation and socio-economic conditions. On 3 August 1708, Rákóczi’s army suffered a disastrous defeat at Trencsén. However, while the earlier defeats did not have serious consequences, the disintegration of the Kuruc army and the state began after Trencsén. More and more people defected (the betrayals of Ocskay and Bezerédj are only the most famous of these), the Imperials occupied the Mining Towns, thus dealing a blow to the economic strength of the Kuruc state.
The landlords allowed their serfs less and less to serve as soldiers, and services were also collected from the families of conscripts. Discontent grew, and copper coins lost all their value. It was necessary to create the necessary financial basis for the continuation of the war of independence and to finally settle the situation of the peasants who had to serve in the army.
From 5 to 25 September, Rákóczi therefore held a meeting with the senators in Eger, where they discussed plans for the future. It was then that the idea of discussing the ideas with a parliament was born in the prince’s mind.
On 29 October, he sent out invitations to the counties from the Szatmár camp, but at that time he was still planning the diet in Tállya. Then, on 19 November, he decided to go to Sárospatak Castle for better accommodation. In the meantime, he had already held several important meetings with the officers and Károlyi Sándor, Bottyán János at Esze Tamás’ home village of Tarpa, and awarded the town of Esze Tamás with a letter of privilege as a Hajdú town.
After these preparations, on 28 November 1708, the Parliament was opened to “continue the good of the common homeland” – in the words of Beniczky Gáspár. The traitors, the waverers stayed away, even Bishop Telekessy István of Eger, the only high priest who supported the fight for freedom. But most of the counties sent their envoys, and there were also commissioners of the troops of the Trans-Tisza region.
The latter supported Rákóczi in the first place and were behind him when he made a powerful speech on 4 December in which he explained how damaging it would be to make peace now because lasting reconciliation could only be achieved by a peace with a Europe-wide guarantee. The speech was followed by great enthusiasm, and those present expressed their faith in Rákóczi and the continuing struggle.
They passed a law to free in perpetuity the peasants and their families who had fought until the end of the War of Independence and obliged the landlords to return the peasants whom they had held back to the war. If this law had been implemented, a significant number of peasants would have been given free status, a privileged position similar to that of the Hajdú soldiers.
However, as the military situation of the War of Independence continued to deteriorate, the decrees had little effect. The liberation of the serfs could not be achieved because of the defeat.
Bezerédj Imre
Bezerédj Imre Kuruc Colonel was born on 9 December 1679 in Vámoscsalád (Vas county). He was a cousin of Béri Balogh Ádám through his mother. He entered the military and reached the rank of captain in the Hussar regiment of Esterházy Gábor. He also fought against the French in the War of the Spanish Succession. He returned home in 1703 and joined Rákóczi the following year. He became a colonel in the field army of Vas County, and in 1705 he commanded the cavalry regiment of Hatvani Szabó Máté. He had a reputation for being a famous raider, fighting in the areas of Kőszeg and Sopron, but he often crossed into Austria.
He was appointed brigadier on 19 July 1706. In 1707 he was back in the Transdanubian region, his main task being to disrupt the Imperial forces massed on the Rába line around Sárvár. On 3 March, he attacked the troops of General Rabutin de Bussy, who was preparing to cross the river, accompanied by Béri Balogh Ádám. Although the raid was initially successful, the outnumbered Imperial army soon fell into line and Bererédj was briefly captured in the Battle of Sitke. His horse was shot out from under him and he was held down by a German dragoon. He was eventually saved by the soldiers of Béri Balogh and cut off from the hands of the Imperial troops. Bezerédj’s deed was also sung by an unknown Kuruc poet.
In the summer he camped with his regiment near Kőszeg, then in September Bottyán János ordered him back to the Rába River. In November he was on a raid in Lower Austria. At the end of the year, however, he began to negotiate with the Austrians to defect, and, according to recent research, he was rumored to have been framed by Pálffy János, the Croatian Ban (Duke) and Imperial General. They also tried to put pressure on him by capturing his wife. It was only after the defeat at Trencsén and the betrayal of Ocskay László that he finally made up his mind, in August 1708.
On 5 September 1708, the prince promoted him to the rank of general, i.e. major-general. However, his appointment did not take effect, because on the same day, on the orders of Esterházy Antal, some of Bezerédj’s soldiers arrested the brigadier at Kőszeg.
He was court-martialed at the Diet of Sárospatak, then sentenced to death together with his brother-in-law and lieutenant-colonel Botka Ádám and beheaded on 18 December 1708. The legendary brigadier, who is said to have single-handedly killed 72 enemy officers, was buried in Sárospatak. Today his tombstone can be seen in the Rákóczi Museum there, his monogrammed pickaxe is in the Hungarian National Museum, and his bag of mace in the Smidt Museum in Szombathely.
Source: Szibler Gábor
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