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KOSSUTH

1012

KREUTZER SONATA

tator and commander-in-chief. His defeat of a greatly superior force of Russians at Raclawice was followed by a rising of the Poles in Warsaw. He established a provisional government and took the field against the Prussians; but, as their force was three times as large, he was defeated and fell back to Warsaw, which he successfully defended against the Prussian and the Russian forces, and compelled them to raise the siege. But, finding that two additional Russian armies were marching against him, he reorganized his army and went out to check their progress. Being overwhelmed by superior numbers, he was defeated and taken prisoner at the battle of Maciejowice on Oct. 10,1794. He was kept in rigorous confinement in St. Petersburg till the death of Empress Catherine two years later, when Emperor Paul restored him to liberty with many marks of esteem. Being offered a sword by Paul, he replied: "I have no need of a sword; I have no country to defend." In 1797 Kosciusko again visited the United States, where he was received with high honor and distinction on account of the services he had rendered in the War of Independence; and a grant of land was obtained from Congress in addition to the annual pension previously allowed him. The remainder of his life was spent in France and in Switzerland, where he gave himself mainly to agricultural pursuits. He was killed at Solothurn, Switzerland, Oct. 17, 1817, by the fall of his horse over a precipice. See biographies by Michelet and by Falken-stein.

Kossuth (kosh'oot or kos-sooth'), Louis, a distinguished Hungarian patriot, was born at

Monok in Hungary, on April 27, 1802. He studied law at Sarospatok, and commenced his political career at the Diet of Presburgini832 as the proxy of a member and as editor of a journal. He afterwards p ublished a lithographed paper, which led in May,183 7, to his receiving a sentence of four years' imprisonment. He was liberated in 1840, and became editor of the Pesti Hirlap, in which he advocated the most liberal views and obtained a strong hold on the young men of the country. In 1847 Kossuth was sent to the Diet, and soon became leader of the opposition. He advocated the freedom of the press and the abolition of all feudal privileges, and after the Revolution of 1848 in France he demanded an independent government for Hungary.

LOUIS KOSSUTH

(See AUSTRIA.) In April, 1849, he induced the national assembly to declare that the Hapsburg dynasty had forfeited the throne, and was appointed provisional governor. Kossuth made a desperate effort to secure independence; but his struggles were in vain; and after the defeat of Temesvan he resigned in favor of Gorgei, who two days later surrendered to the Russians. Kossuth was then compelled to flee into Turkey. Austria and Russia both demanded his extradition, but the Porte refused to comply, and in 1857 he was liberated through the influence of England and the United States. In America and England he was received with every mark of sympathy and respect. In 1851-52 he once more visited the United States, and was greeted with unbounded enthusiasm. He addressed large assemblages in behalf of Hungarian independence; but his eloquence brought no substantial result, in spite of the general sympathy for himself and his cause. He returned to England in 1852, where he remained most of the time till 1859, when the war between France and Austria revived his dream of Hungarian independence; but all his hopes were disappointed when peace was concluded between the two empires at Villa-franca. When De*ak affected the reconciliation of Hungary with the dynasty (1867), Kossuth refused to avail himself of the general amnesty or to return to his native land to take the oath of allegiance. From that time he resided in Turin, Italy, where he died on March 20, 1894.

Krakato'a, a volcanic island in the Strait of Sunda, is remarkable for a terrific explosion on Aug. 27, 1883, when a large part of the island was blown away, destroying 163 villages and killing more than 36,000 people. This explosion is exceedingly interesting from a scientific point of view, since the dust which was carried many miles up into the atmosphere was later transported over the entire earth and produced remarkable red sunsets for many months. Not only so, but the atmospheric wave thus started was traced around the earth, by means of the barometer, during 3} round trips to the antipodes and back.v Sound waves were heard at the incredible distance of 2,000 miles. See Report of the Krakatoa Committee of the Royal Society.

Kreut'zer Sona'ta is the title by which Beethoven's Sonata in A, op. 47, for piano and violin, is commonly known. It was first played by Beethoven and Bridgetower the violinist (known as the Abyssinian Prince) in a suburb of Vienna in May, 1803. The movements are an introductory adagio sostenuto, leading to a presto; an andante con variazioni; and the finale presto. The sonata derives its name from its dedication to Rudolphe Kreutzer (1766-1831), the violinist and composer. This sonata is considered representative of Beethoven's cham* ber compositions.