Tisza, István

(1861–1918)

   Hungarian prime minister and statesaman. István Tisza was born April 22, 1861, in Budapest. His father, Kálmán Tisza, was the leader of Hungary’s Liberal Party. In 1886, István Tisza became a member of the Hungarian parliament. He was prime minister of Hungary from 1903 to 1905, when his Liberal Party was defeated at the polls. In a time of deep controversy about Hungary’s status within the Habsburg monarchy and of political instability, Tisza managed to take control of the Liberal Party and to rein in the opposition in parliament. Leader of the lower house from 1912 and prime minister again from June 1913, Tisza dominated Hungarian politics until he resigned in June 1917. In the July Crisis of 1914, he insisted on the importance of preliminary diplomatic steps to be taken against Serbia before any military action to avoid a great power war. During the war, however, he supported the war effort wholeheartedly. After his resignation, he was assassinated by a Hungarian leftist in October 1918.

   FURTHER READING:

    Albertini, Luigi. The Origins of the War of 1914. 3 vols. Translated by Isabella Mellis Massey. New York: Oxford University Press, 1952;

    Wilson, Keith, ed. Decisions for War. New York: St. Martin’s, 1995.

   GUENTHER KRONENBITTER