Battle of Pákozd

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Pákozd


caption=
partof=Hungarian Revolution of 1848
date=September 29, 1848
place=Pákozd, Sukoró, Pátka, Hungary in county Fejér
result=draw
combatant1=Austria
Croatia
Vojvodian Serbs
combatant2=Revolutionary Hungarian Army
commander1=Josip Jelačić croatian ban
commander2=János Móga lieutenant-general
strength1=35,000 Austrians, Croatians and Serbs
99 cannons
strength2=27,000 men
82 cannons
casualties1=
casualties2=

The Battle of Pákozd (or Battle of Sukoró) was fought on September 29, 1848 during Hungarian revolution of 1848, near Pákozd in central Hungary, where the Hungarian troops halted the forces of Croatian Ban Josip Jelačić. [ [http://www.museum.hu/museum/index_en.php?ID=331 Pákozd-Sukoró Battle 1848 Exhibition] , ]

When Jelačić's troops entered Hungary following the September 11 declaration of war in the name of the Habsburg Empire, many of the Hungarian generals were not willing to attack the imperial troops to which they had sworn allegiance (notably general Ádám Teleki, commander of the forces on the Drava).

The battle is a landmark of loyalty: the ban of Croatia, Josip Jelačić, who led the Croatian army, was sent to deal with the rebellious Hungarians, which he promptly did, despite the fact that, had he sided with them, and against the Emperor, Croatia very well could have won its independence from the Habsburgs within a new Hungarian state. The ban's choice to obey the Empire by attacking Hungary is a pivotal moment in the history of the Habsburg monarchy; the Empire owed a great debt to him. He fought against Hungary because in Hungary Croatia would have been given even less autonomy than it had in Austria and because Hungarian independence would mean separation of Croatia from Dalmatia and Istria which would remain in Austria. His judgment was vindicated after 1867 when Croatia was made a part of the Hungarian half of Austro-Hungary and Hungarians launched a state sponsored campaign of language assimilation.

After the battle of Pákozd, the halted Croatian armies were redirected towards Austria, where they were given new orders from the Austrian government, but no reinforcements as they were promised.

The outcome of the battle was a draw, and its day (September 29) later became "the day of the army" ("a honvédség napja") in Hungary. After 1991 that day was changed to May 21 (recapture of Buda in 1849).

References