Page:Heinrich Karl Schmitt - The Hungarian Revolution - tr. Matthew Phipps Shiel (1918).djvu/40

 The first definite impulse toward becoming a Republic: in the evening a conversation over the telephone took place between Count Michael Kàrolyi and Karl IV.

Kàrolyi informed the King of the situation and the opinions that were lord over the land. Formerly it had been said "The Premier reports to the Monarch, upon which the latter makes the necessary decisions, and trusts the Premier with their execution." This time, however, it was rather the other way about. The Monarch was silent, and the Premier, so to say, received his own report—and, Karl, by the Grace of God, first Emperor of his name of Austria, and of the same name fourth apostolic King of Hungary, yielded to necessity, released Kàrolyi from his oath of fealty, which he had first made to the Ruler the day before, and said that this release held good for the other Ministers alsoAnd the Ministers at once took over their offices as popularly-appointed Ministers, who at once decided to renounce their title and address of "Excellency."

It was about half-past seven.

The National Council, and the Workers' and Soldiers' Council, which also, all at once, was now there, were holding a common sitting in the Stadthaus.

And now happened the unwonted. Without pomp and ceremony, without the usual fuss, appeared the Ministers of Kàrolyi's Cabinet, the first Hungarian People's Ministry.

With immense applause were they greeted. And the President of the National Council, Johann Hock, gave a short address, in which he sketched the development of the situation, whose final consequence took the shape of a People's Government. After him spake War Minister Béla Linder, who bluffly and bluntly announced the steps taken toward an armistice on all fronts, the command sent to General Kôvess to complete at once the negotiations, in which the sole condition was to be the retirement in every case from Hungarian soil of French, English and American troops

Again crackled past us a little piece of world-history

After the War-Minister, Kàrolyi began to speak.