The impact of the April 1848 laws on the transformation of society, or the abolition of serfdom

Abstract

The study describes the development of serfdom, the Dózsa Uprising, which was caused by social conflicts and the limitation of serfdom and their legal consequences. A significant milestone was the Urbárium of 1767, followed by two other decisive boundary stones: the Revolution of 1848 and the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. The latter was also significant in the way that it paved the way for the Austro-Hungarian Empire (alongside Japan) to enter the First World War, in parallel with and in a similar way to the Meiji Restoration, which began in Japan in 1867-1868. The study outlines the relations between serfdom and the peasantry, not only from a legal-historical, but also from an economic and social-historical perspective.

Keywords

• urbárium of 1767
• april 1848 laws
• transformation of society
• abolition of serfdom
• austro-hungarian compromise
• austro-hungarian empire