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Contents 1 History 1.1 Early times 1.2 Exploration & Colonisation | 1760s - 1800 1.3 Napoleonic Wars and the Commune of Szabadrév 1.4 1848-49 Revolution and Independence War 1.5 1849 - 1920 1.6 1920 - 1945 1.7 1945 - present

[edit] History

Main article about the history of Liberty Islands

[edit] Early times

It is said, but not proved that Liberty Islands was first discovered by the nordic vikings, while they went out on a discovering trip from the British Isles. Due to the proximity of the islands from the closest large landmass, most of the historians and archeologist believe that vikings weren't even able to travel that far on very open seas. Supporting the later mentioned theory no proved viking remains were found.

Until the exploration of America, no signs were recorded by traders or sails that they discovered the islands. After the European powers started regular Transatlantic ship routes there are records of a mysterious green land that sailors saw on the Atlantic while they were in the middle of the Atlantic. Liberty Islands slowly bacame a legend among sailors and traders. Legend because no one could register the exact location of the islands, and sometimes they couldn't even saw it due to the stormy or foggy weather. The another reasone why didn't any of the crew of those ships didn't discover this islands is that Liberty Islands didn't have any seagull population that could show clear signs of existing lands. Because of this, the exploration of the islands was accidental.

[edit] Exploration & Colonisation | 1760s - 1800

The Austrian Empire rarely sent any ships to the Atlantic, as it costed too much travelling from the Adriatic Sea to the Mediterranean and to the Atlantic. Maria Theresia, the Empress of Austria decided help her ally and send troops by sea to North America where the French and Indian War were happening. This was during the Seven Years' War. The British Empire were informed about this and prepared to stop the Austrian ships at the Strait of Giblaltar, but they were late and couldn't catch the ships, then they followed them on the shores of Spain and on the middle of the Atlantic, but could catch up to fight them over. While this race the Austrian ships had to go norther and norhther (due to the actual course of the wind). During a tough storm the Austrian ships had the chance to escape their chasers and the British captains didn't risk to go after them. While the storm, the Austrian ships accidentally explored the Liberty Islands. 3 of the ships had sunk during the storm, but the 2 survivor could anchor at the shores of the islands and the Hungarian troops (the shores of Adriatic Sea was part of Croatia and by this, part of Hungary; so the Austrian navy basicly consisted of newly conscripted Hungarians) on the Austrian ships landed on the islands and they become the first men to see the islands. They were able to keep their secret as the British tought all of the 5 ships went under and discontinoued their efforts to catch the Austrian ships. Months later the new inhabitants of the the islands sent back one of the ships with the news, they luckly landed in France and could go back to the Austrian Empire to tell the great news. The Empress and the government didn't belive the stories, but a few of her Hungarian advisors finally had her promise to send more ships with Hungarian crew to the islands.

The few dozen of the sailors and troops that were left on the islands survived until the new ships arrived. The British, the French, and the Dutch after recieving the news of the discovery sent forces to the islands. In the Seven Years' War after the exploration the British navy attacked the islands in order to conqer it and support Britain's Atlantic domination. In the year 1762, the British plans failed, as the coalition of Sweden, Austria and Naples reinforced the islands with Austrian and Swedish forces. The Austrian forces mainly consisted of Hungarian troops as Austrian troops were in the continental Europe fighting with the Prussians. The islands being as a far away piece of land without any infrastructure didn't have any more important role in the Seven Years' War. After the loss of Silesia, The Austrian Empire decided to develope the islands as part of a future bridgehead for expansions. Seeing this as an act of aggression, the British threatened with an invasion. All Atlantic sea power wanted to conqer the islands but in that case the balance of power would tilt and end up in an Atlantic war and nobody wanted that, so the Swedish and Austrians could freely build up a little colony on the middle of the ocean. When the American colonies of Britain revolted, the British had to support their troops and Liberty Islands was a perfect place for storing and transfer materials between ships. The local governate of the islands made the decision without agreeing with the court in Vienna that the ports of the islands will be free not for the British but for everybody. The local people thought it will be the end as lifting the restrictions and customs will left them without any wealth. The opposite happened: Liberty Islands became a trading port for every nations ships and it quickly started to develope. This time the sailors and traders named the Maria Theresia Land Liberty Islands. The Austrians seeing that they lost the grip on the land prepared for a military reinforcement that would restore the emperor's rule over the islands. After a point it stoped as it would end up in a war between every Atlantic trading nation and Austria, so the islands were left in autonomy and nominal Austrian rule. This time the oppressed Hungarians started to flee to land of liberty, but only in small numbers.

[edit] Napoleonic Wars and the Commune of Szabadrév

As Napoleon raised as the new ruler of Europe, the balance of power disappeared and Liberty Islands and Great Britain were targeted by Napoleon. Napoleon couldn't block the sea trade of Britain and Liberty Islands after loosing the Battle of Trafalgar (were a few ship of Liberty Islands fought along with the British) so he made the Continental Blockade which harmed Britain but harmed very much Liberty Islands. Without the European corn and meat a huge famine broke out. While emptying the strategic store, the leadership of the island decided to upgrade the local agriculture and industry in order to make the islands independent from abroad materials. The council of leaders had a very tough dispute about the rest of corn reserves, but after a vote they stopped giving rations to the people and started ordering planting seeds on the new lands. The citizens of the cities lynched some of the council members while hundreds died in the femine. Anarchy broke out in the towns and the local guards was sent to the countryside were hunger wasn't strong and state rule was intact. In the winter of 1808 the sailors in Szabadrév grabbed weapons and attacked on the town hall and administration. This was the Sailors' Winter Revolution in 1808, they set up commune rule in the city, broke down the civilian anarchy, collected the food stores of the richer and started again the food rations. The Imperial Guards withdraw to the countryside. On the summer of 1809 the new crop ended the famine on the countryside and in the smaller towns, except Szabadrév. Being not strong enough, the Imperial Guard didn't attack on the city. The Commune of Szabadrév didn't want to surrender so the Commune Council agreed with the governor to keep the city under commune power but letting the administration and the other people to enter the city and restore Imperial rule. This was a historic alliance between the Imperial Governate and the Commune of Szabadrév. In 1810 the agreement was extended and larger cities like Novgorod, Vosztok, Révkút, Délviharos established their own city commune rule and the commune army blended in the Imperial Guard. After ending the Napoleonic wars Liberty Islands started prospering again. The Szabadrév Commune and the Imperial Governate along with the Civilian Union established the institute of Senate, where all parties could negotiate and make decisions.

When the Hungarian wheat prosperity ended and the landowner nobles left without cash and the Hungarian peasants saw the coming times of poverty started to migrate to other places, mostly the Liberty Islands. This was the first wave of Hungarian migration to Liberty Islands. They were welcomed because agricultural workers were needed. Because of trade and developed civil society, economical evolution started. The capital appeared in the economy.

[edit] 1848-49 Revolution and Independence War

Revolutions broke out in 1830s Europe-widely. The influence of civil revolutions reached the communes and the Civil Union of Liberty Islands and they started new debates in the Senate about more freedom and more rights. The Imperial Governate wasn't weak as in the beginning of the 19th century so the Imperial Guard arrested the Senate members and strict imperial rule was restored. The Commune Sailors were trapped in the ports of Szabadrév and the Siege of Szabadrév Port started in August, 1847. On Christmas Eve, the Imperial Guard (enforced with countryside conscripts) broke the siege of the hungry sailors. The survivors were executed and the imperial terror arrested more key figures of the civilian resistance. In March, 1848, the Hungarian Revolution broke out in Budapest, and the key figures requested to lift the imperial terror from Liberty Islands. When the news reach Szabadrév, the dissatisfied mobs revolted too. The Imperial Governate had to negotiate with the mobs and the Senate was opened again. From this point the Liberty Islands Senate followed the Hungarian events. They affirmed the April Laws of 1848. The Hungarian Independence war broke out when the Croatian forces of Jelacic attacked the Hungarian troops. This time the, the National Guard was established by the Senate. The Imperial Guard disbanded without any fight and the draft of new conscripts started to reinforce the troops in Europe. Lajos Batthyány Prime Minister of Hungary recognized Liberty Islands as another two county of the country, and entrusted the Liberty Islands Senate to govern the islands. Delegates from the islands were sent to Budapest to the National Assembly. On the day of April 14th, 1849, the National Assembly in Debrecen proclaimed the independence of Hungary and the dethronement of Habsburg Emperor Franz Josef. Lajos Kossuth become the Governor-president of the Constitutional Kingdom of Hungary, by this he became the leader of Liberty Islands too. The Russian intervention in the Independence War made the victory impossible. In August 11, 1849, Lajos Kossuth resign as Governor-president and hands this position to General Artúr Görgei, who capitulates to the Imperial Russian Army on August 13, 1849 at Világos. Liberty Islands became one of the last holdouts of the revolution and of the independent Hungary. Until the end of 1849, all European holdout put down the weapon except Liberty Islands which refuses to do so. The Imperial Russian Navy sends a group of ships with a little army on board to break down the opposition in Liberty Islands. The islands prepares: the National Guard fortifies some of the large towns and all ships were recalled to the ports. The Hungarian Navy was en route to Hungary on the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the islands were left without a navy. On September 1, 1849, the Russian troops land and the most Eastern point of the Norhern island. Troops along with the Prussian reinforcement march in Vosztok (mostly Russian town at that time). The invasion forces clash with the National Guard on the plains near the port town of Újrév on October 12th. The National Guard were informed of the execution of the revolution's leader in Arad on October 6th, so the morale went very high and the Russo-Prussian expeditional forces were smashed by the poorly armed Hungarian National Guard. The capitulating forces were given amnesty and the Russian troops offered the chance to settle down in Liberty Islands. The Battle of Újrév was the only land battle fought on Liberty Islands' soil. The Senate declared Liberty Islands as the only independent part of Hungary and the Habsburg leadership declared Liberty Islands as a renegate territory, but admitted its independence. Lajos Kossuth and the fleeing people went to Liberty Islands.

[edit] 1849 - 1920

As Arthur Görgey resigned after Kossuth giving him the title of Governor-President, Kossuth become again the Governor-president of Liberty Islands. The Senate voted confidence on him. From that point a long political argument started about the power and rights of the governor-president. The Laws of April 14th, which were the primary law of the islands gave a lot of rights to the governpr-president, but also didn't state the form of government. Legally Liberty Islands remained a constitutional monarchy. National liberals and the those representatives who were born on the islands wrote an ammendment to the Laws of April 14th, which stated that Szabadrév is the new capital of Hungary, and the form of government of Hungary is a federal republic which consists of the territory of Liberty Islands and the mainland of the historic Hungary, accompanied by Transsylvania and Croatia as third and fourth territory. This ammendment remained a romantic proposal which never met with the realities of Liberty Islands. Instead of getting the bill through, the realist representatives of the Senate voted to make a Conventional Assembly which would have the task to write a whole new constitution for the islands.

The election took place in January and February, 1850. As the new Conventional Assembly formed, the Senate voted to dissolves itself and give extended rights to governor-president Kossuth for a one year period until the convention creates the new constitution. Kossuth saw little military potential in Liberty Islands and started to make international help to restart the independence war and because of this he spent months abroad. Governing the islands was the job of the newly appointed government. One of its first decisons was the renaming of the Hungarian forint to the Independent Hunagrian Forint, which quickly become the offical currency of Liberty Islands. The new cabinet fixed the economical problems, but couldn't diminish the size of the National Guard, bcause Kossuth wanted to use it to help liberate Hungary. The prime minister, who was born on the islands, couldn't let the National Guard to slowly eat most of the islands funds. A new political party was formed at the convention. Its goals were to create a separated Liberty Islands which is a new country, and has no ties to Hungary. This way Liberty Islands can regain its position as a neutral trade nation with no enemies. They wanted to disband the National Guard and only keep the Navy and its marines as an armed force. This was the Függetlenségi Párt (Pro-Independence Party), lead by the prime minister. Kossuth couldn't join the arguments as he was currently in the USA to gain support for the liberation of Hungary. His party was the Felszabadíá (Pro-Liberation Party). Mostly war heroes and fleed politicians of Hungary were in this party. The argument between this two major party slowed down the work of the Conventional Assembly.

In 1851, the constitution was finally finished. Both the ideas of Felszabadítási Párt and the Függetlenségi Párt were represented in the new constitution. The only group which were not satisfied about the product was the block of workers and sailors. They didn't had a political movement yet, but the Communsit Manifesto by Karl Marx had its influence on them. Old commune leaders and commune heroes were the head figures of this block, however they didn't really had their voice in the Conventional Assembly. Only a few tradesmen represented this minority in the convention. The new constitution gave no many right s to these poorer groups. The Felszabadítási Párt did not recognize the social differences between the industrialized and civil Liberty Islands and the agricultural and feudalistic Hungary. Leaving these kind of social differences and tensions to grow (this mistake lead to the radicalization of worker and peasant movements) met with the second wave of Hungarian migration to the Liberty Islands. Thousands fleed Hungary and the terror reign of General Haynau. This wave ended in the middle of the moderated Bach regime in Hungary. Liberty Islands faced these quick social changes and tensions accompanied by the second industrial revolution and the railway boom of Liberty Islands.

[edit] 1920 - 1945

[edit] 1945 - present