Hungarian Defence Forces
In April 1867, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was established. Franz Josef, the head of the ancient Habsburg dynasty, was recognized as both Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. Nevertheless, the issue of what form the Hungarian military would take remained a matter of serious contention between Hungarian patriots and Austrian leaders. As the impasse threatened the political union, Emperor Franz Josef ordered a council of generals in November of the same year. Ultimately, the leaders resolved on the following solution: in addition to the joint (k.u.k.) army, Hungary would have its own defence force, whose members would swear their oath to the King of Hungary (who was also Emperor of Austria) and the national constitution, use the Hungarian language of command, and display their own flags and insignia. (Austria would also form its own parallel national defence force, the "Landwehr".) As a result of these negotiations, on 5 December 1868, the Royal Hungarian Landwehr ("Magyar Kiralyi Honvédség", or Defence Force) was established.
Andrássy University Budapest
With the name “Andrássy Gyula German-Language University in Budapest“, the founders placed the institution and its future role in the historic traditional lineage of Central Europe. Its namesake, Count Gyula Andrássy (1823-1890), was an active participant of the revolution of 1848/49, from 1867 to 1871 Hungarian prime minister and finally, until his resignation in 1879, foreign minister of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. He was an involved proponent of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, which was bound into the foundation of the Dual Monarchy. He was committed to the promotion of understanding among the nations, and through his extraordinary endeavours for the close cooperation of the Central European states, he went down in history as one of the most prominent diplomats of the 19th century.