The Hungarian Royal Gendarmerie and Political Violence in “Happy Peaceful Times” (1881-1914)

This article deals with the social-political tensions in late Habsburg Hungary by exploring coercive conduct of Hungarian Royal Gendarmerie from its creation 1881 up to First World War. Through an analysis narrative and statistical primary sources, paper shows how gendarmerie protected dualist system perceived threats nationalist labour movements. It attempts establish situations which gendarmes resorted physical aggression, dynamic changed over time, regions where levels force exercised were higher. Altogether, it argues that widespread violence was a central feature conflicts pre-WW1 Hungary, playing crucial role.