György Kmety
Encyclopedia
György Kmety was a general in the Hungarian army, and in the Ottoman army under the name Isma'il pasha
.
vicar who died in 1818, so his elder brother Pál brought him up. Kmety completed his studies in Késmárk and in 1833 he joined the 19th Army. At the end of 1847 he was a non-commissioned officer
in Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
's army as a first lieutenant
. On 1 October 1848 in Győr
he joined the 23rd Army Corps as a captain.
to János Móga's camp, and with them fought the Battle of Schwechat
. For this Kossuth awarded him a captaincy in the 1st Army Corps. Later he was promoted to colonel
for defeating a cavalry attack. From 15 February 1849 Kmety was leading a division.
Kmety didn't fight in the Battle of Kápolna
because of Henryk Dembiński
's poor leadership, although he covered the retreating Hungarian army. On 28 February 1849 Kmety won the battle against Franz Deym
. On 14 April 1849 he was promoted to colonel.
Kmety led the Hungarians to recover Buda, but he was injured. After that he was commanded to occupy the banks of the River Rába
. On 13 June Kmety defeated Franz Wyss and because of this he received the general title. On 27 June Edler von Warensberg defeated Kmety and he had to move towards Vojvodina
. Even though Kmety tried to rush his troops he missed the battle against Josip Jelačić
.
On 9 August Kmety joined to the Hungarian army corps at Temesvár (now Timişoara
, Romania
). On the left flank Kmety advanced successfully, but in other sections of the corps he also had to retreat. On 15 August Kmety defeated the Austrian Army
at Lugos (now Lugoj, Romania
).
Kmety fled to the Ottoman Empire
and he joined to the Ottoman army under the name of Isma'il, but he did not convert to Islam. The Ottoman people liked him and asked him to modernise the Ottoman army, which he did. Kmety was transferred to Aleppo
with Józef Bem, where they helped to put down a serious riot.
After Bem's death Kmety moved to London
, where his first work was published. At the beginning of the Crimean War
Kmety went back to the Ottoman Empire where he defeated the Russians at Kars
on 29 September 1855. The defeat was the subject of his second book. When General William Fenwick Williams
wanted to give up the castle, Kmety decided to engage combat with the enemy's troops. Because of that Kmety received an award from the Ottoman government.
In 1861 Kmety retired and went back to London where he died in 1865.
. Kmety never married and had no children. His brother Mihály Kmety's descendants still bear the surname "Kmety".
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
.
Career
Kmety's father was a noble but poor evangelistEvangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
vicar who died in 1818, so his elder brother Pál brought him up. Kmety completed his studies in Késmárk and in 1833 he joined the 19th Army. At the end of 1847 he was a non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
in Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
's army as a first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
. On 1 October 1848 in Győr
Gyor
-Climate:-Main sights:The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr’s bishops can be easily recognised by its incomplete tower. Győr’s oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the...
he joined the 23rd Army Corps as a captain.
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
Kmety played an important role in setting up the corps, because another captain ended up not enlisting because of illness. Kmety was leading four companies when he went with Lajos KossuthLajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
to János Móga's camp, and with them fought the Battle of Schwechat
Battle of Schwechat
The Battle of Schwechat was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, fought on 30 October 1848 between the Revolutionary Hungarian Army against the army of the Austrian Empire, in Schwechat, near Vienna. This was the last battle of 1848 in the Trandanubian campaign...
. For this Kossuth awarded him a captaincy in the 1st Army Corps. Later he was promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
for defeating a cavalry attack. From 15 February 1849 Kmety was leading a division.
Kmety didn't fight in the Battle of Kápolna
Battle of Kápolna
The Battle of Kápolna was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, fought on 26 and 27 February 1849. The battle ended with Austrian victory and influenced the politics of central Europe: Franz Joseph I announced the Constitution of Omnütz on 4 March 1849.- Dembiński, the Polish supreme...
because of Henryk Dembiński
Henryk Dembinski
Henryk Dembiński was a Polish engineer, traveler and general.Dembiński was born in Strzałków, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. In 1809 he entered the Polish army of the Duchy of Warsaw and took part in most of the Napoleonic campaigns in the East. Among others, he took part in the Battle of Leipzig in...
's poor leadership, although he covered the retreating Hungarian army. On 28 February 1849 Kmety won the battle against Franz Deym
Franz Deym
Count Franz Deym was an Austrian diplomat....
. On 14 April 1849 he was promoted to colonel.
Kmety led the Hungarians to recover Buda, but he was injured. After that he was commanded to occupy the banks of the River Rába
Rába
The Rába is a river in southeastern Austria and western Hungary and a right tributary of the Danube. Its source is in Austria, some kilometres east of Bruck an der Mur below Heubodenhöhe Hill. It flows through the Austrian states of Styria and Burgenland, and the Hungarian counties of Vas and...
. On 13 June Kmety defeated Franz Wyss and because of this he received the general title. On 27 June Edler von Warensberg defeated Kmety and he had to move towards Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
. Even though Kmety tried to rush his troops he missed the battle against Josip Jelačić
Josip Jelacic
Count Josip Jelačić of Bužim was the Ban of Croatia between 23 March 1848 and 19 May 1859...
.
On 9 August Kmety joined to the Hungarian army corps at Temesvár (now Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
). On the left flank Kmety advanced successfully, but in other sections of the corps he also had to retreat. On 15 August Kmety defeated the Austrian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
at Lugos (now Lugoj, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
).
After the Revolution
After the Surrender at VilágosSurrender at Világos
The Surrender at Világos took place on 13 August 1849 at Világos, and formally ended the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. After it, Julius Jacob von Haynau became the regent of Hungary and took bloody reprisals against Hungary...
Kmety fled to the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and he joined to the Ottoman army under the name of Isma'il, but he did not convert to Islam. The Ottoman people liked him and asked him to modernise the Ottoman army, which he did. Kmety was transferred to Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
with Józef Bem, where they helped to put down a serious riot.
After Bem's death Kmety moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where his first work was published. At the beginning of the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
Kmety went back to the Ottoman Empire where he defeated the Russians at Kars
Kars
Kars is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. The population of the city is 73,826 as of 2010.-Etymology:As Chorzene, the town appears in Roman historiography as part of ancient Armenia...
on 29 September 1855. The defeat was the subject of his second book. When General William Fenwick Williams
William Fenwick Williams
General Sir William Fenwick Williams, 1st Baronet GCB was a British military leader of the Victorian era.-Early life:...
wanted to give up the castle, Kmety decided to engage combat with the enemy's troops. Because of that Kmety received an award from the Ottoman government.
In 1861 Kmety retired and went back to London where he died in 1865.
Legacy
In recognition of his help, after Kmety's death the Turks erected a statue that still stands in IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. Kmety never married and had no children. His brother Mihály Kmety's descendants still bear the surname "Kmety".