Baron Géza Fejérváry de Komlóskeresztes (15 March 1833 – 25 April 1914) was a Hungarian general who served as the

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

in a government of bureaucrats appointed by King

Franz Joseph Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

during the Hungarian Constitutional Crisis of 1903–1907.

Biography

He began his career in the army. As a captain in 1859, he was part of the Austrian forces opposing the

Second Italian War of Independence The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Sardinian War, the Austro-Sardinian War, the Franco-Austrian War, or the Italian War of 1859 (Italian: ''Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana''; German: ''Sardinischer Krieg''; French: ...

and participated in an action on hotly contested heights of San Martino in front of

Solferino Solferino ( Upper Mantovano: ) is a small town and municipality in the province of Mantua, Lombardy, northern Italy, approximately south of Lake Garda. It is best known as being close to the site of the Battle of Solferino on 24 June 1859, part ...

. For his heroism in this, he won the cross of Maria Theresa – Austria-Hungary's highest military decoration. In 1864 fought against the

Danes Danes (, ), or Danish people, are an ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. History Early history Denmark ...

in the

Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War (; or German Danish War), also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War, was the second military conflict over the Schleswig–Holstein question of the nineteenth century. The war began on 1 Februar ...

. In 1872 Fejérváry became State Secretary in the Hungarian Ministry of National Defence (Honvéd) and Minister of National Defence in 1884. In 1895 he persuaded Franz Joseph to agree to the religious and political reforms of the Sándor Wekerle ministry. In 1903 he resigned, together with the prime minister, Kálmán Széll, owing to the rejection of a bill to increase the contingent of recruits, and was appointed captain of the Hungarian Life-Guards organized at that time. Fejérváry was appointed premier 18 June 1905. The parliamentary majority declared that the Fejérváry ministry was unconstitutional, and organized a national opposition against it. Fejérváry nevertheless succeeded in settling these differences by the so-called Pactum, on the basis of which the Wekerle ministry was formed 8 April 1906. From this time onwards Fejervary's political activity ceased and he resumed his military career. On the death of Prince Esterházy, Captain of the Hungarian Royal Guard, Fejerváry was appointed his successor. He died of cancer of the tongue.

Notes

References

* 1833 births 1914 deaths People from Jaroměř Prime ministers of Hungary Ministers of defence of Hungary Ministers of foreign affairs of Hungary Finance ministers of Hungary Ministers of agriculture of Hungary Hungarian nobility Politicians from Austria-Hungary Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery Knights Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa Grand Crosses of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Takovo Officers of the Legion of Honour Theresian Military Academy alumni Austrian military personnel of the Second Schleswig War {{Hungary-politician-stub