Original Hungarian Pre-WWI Royal Hungarian Honvéd Hussar Officer’s Shako with Cord & Plume

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice Royal Hungarian Army Officer’s Shako, dating from the Pre-WWI Period. It is a gorgeous design, with a large front plate bearing the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Hungary surrounded by a wreath. This example was worn by an officer of the Honvéd, likely the 1st Honvéd Regiment due to the 1 Numeral attached to the side.

The word honvéd in Hungarian means "defender of the homeland" and first appeared during the 1848 revolutions. At that time it was the name given to volunteers who were engaged for several weeks or a gyözelemig (i.e. "until victory") and sent to fight the Serbs and Croats. Subsequently, the bulk of the fighting was against the Empire of Austria, whereupon a number of regular imperial regiments went over to the Hungarian side. Some volunteers were attached to these existing regiments and some joined new regular regiments. Consequently, the term honvéd was used to refer to all members of the Hungarian land forces in 1848-49. The Honvéd was finally defeated by Austria with Russian assistance.

The shako has a white felt body with a leather crown, and gold bullion hat band and visor. There is an intricate hard cord attached with an aiguillete at one side with two Royal cyphers embroidered on in bullion.

The front retains the plume and cockade with a Royal Cypher to the front. The interior of the shako shows heavy wear with the sweatband still retained. There is some mothing to the exterior.

An outstanding example, ready for further research and display!

Following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Royal Hungarian Honvéd was restored for Hungary, and the Imperial-Royal Landwehr was created for Austria, but both states had to continue to finance the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, much larger than both. A common Austro-Hungarian War Ministry was formed immediately for the large Common Army, but it had no right to directly command the smaller Austrian Landwehr and the Hungarian Honvéd armies, which were respectively placed under the direct control of the separate Austrian and Hungarian Ministries of Defence. The Austrian and Hungarian Ministers of Defence were not placed under the command and jurisdiction of the Common War Ministry; they were subordinated only to their own prime ministers and the respective parliaments in Vienna and Budapest. The Hungarian Honvéd army could join the imperial army only with the explicit authorization of the Hungarian government.

The monarch became the supreme warlord, holding all authority over the structure, organization, and administration of the army. He appointed the senior officials, had the right to declare war, and was the commander-in-chief of the army.

On 21 May 1893 the Honvéd Memorial was unveiled in Budapest in commemoration of the deeds of the Hungarian national army during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-49. From 1919 to 1945, Honvédség was also a name given to the Royal Hungarian Army.