Six hundred years of Hapsburg rule came to its end with the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire at the end of the First World War–part of a wave of revolutions that accompanied the ‘peace.’ One of the states to emerge in the Empire’s aftermath was the Hungarian Soviet Republic, lasting just four months.

‘The Constitution of the Hungarian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic’ from Class Struggle. Vol. 3 No. 3. August, 1919.

Fundamental Principles

Section 1. In establishing the Soviet Republic the proletariat has taken into its hands full liberty, full right and full power for the purpose of doing away with the capitalistic order and the rule of the bourgeoisie and putting in its place the socialistic system of production and society. The dictatorship of the proletariat is, however, only a means to the destruction of all exploitation and class rule of whatever kind, and the preparation for the social order which knows no classes and in which also the most important instrument of class rule, the power of the state, ceases to exist.

Sec. 2. The Hungarian Soviet Republic is the Republic of the Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Councils. The Soviet Republic will not grant to the exploiters a place in any council. In the Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Councils the working people shall create the laws, execute them, and pass judgment upon all who transgress against these laws. The proletariat exercises all central and local authority in the Councils.

Sec. 3. The Soviet Republic is a free league of free nations. In its foreign policy the Soviet Republic shall aim, with the aid of the world revolution, to bring about the peace of the workers’ world. It desires peace without conquest and without indemnities, based upon the right of self-determination of the workers.

In place of imperialism, which caused the World War, the Soviet Republic desires the union, the federation of the proletarians of all lands, the international Soviet Republic of the workers. Hence it is opposed to war as a mode of exploitation, opposed to all forms of oppression and subjugation of the people. It condemns the means employed by class governments in their foreign relations, particularly secret diplomacy.

The Rights and Duties of the Workers in the Hungarian Federated Soviet Republic

Sec. 4. For the sake of checking exploitation and organizing and increasing production the Soviet Republic aims to transmit all the means of production into the possession of the society of the workers. To this end it shall take over as public property all industrial, mining and transportation establishments exceeding retail dimensions.

Sec. 5. The domination of financial capital shall be checked in the Hungarian Soviet Republic by turning all financial institutions and insurance companies into public property.

Sec. 6. In the Hungarian Soviet Republic only those who work shall have the right to live. The Soviet Republic prescribes general compulsory labor and, on the other hand, insures the right to work. Those who are incapacitated for work, or to whom the state cannot offer employment, shall be supported by the state.

Sec. 7. In order to insure the power of the toiling masses and in order to thwart the re-establishment of the power of the exploiters, the Soviet Republic shall arm the workers and disarm the exploiters. The Red Army shall form the class-army of the proletariat.

Sec. 8. In the Soviet Republic the workers shall be able to express their opinion freely in speech and writing, for that power of capital which enabled it to degrade the press to an agency for disseminating the capitalistic ideologies and obscuring the self-consciousness of the proletarians, the dependency of the press upon capital, has ceased. The right to publish literature of every kind belongs to the workers, and the Soviet Republic shall see to it that the ideas of Socialism shall be propagated freely throughout the country.

Sec. 9. In the Soviet Republic freedom of assemblage of the workers shall be absolutely guaranteed. All proletarians shall have the right to meet freely or organize processions. With the overthrow of the rule of the bourgeoisie all obstacles to the free right of organization of the workers are removed, and the Soviet Republic shall not only bestow upon the workers and peasants the fullest freedom of union and organization, but shall also, in order to secure the development and permanency of their freedom of organization, extend to them every material and moral support.

Sec. 10. The Soviet Republic shall do away with the cultural privilege of the bourgeoisie and extend to the workers the opportunity for the positive appropriation of culture. It shall guarantee to the working class and the peasants free instruction, offering a high degree of education.

Sec. 11. The Soviet Republic shall preserve the true freedom of conscience of the workers by complete separation of church and state and of church and school. Everyone may exercise his own religion freely.

Sec. 12. The Soviet Republic proclaims the proposition of the unification of the proletarians of all lands and, therefore, grants to every foreign proletarian the same rights that are due to the proletarians of Hungary.

Sec. 13. In the Hungarian Soviet Republic every foreign revolutionist shall possess the right of asylum.

Sec. 14. The Hungarian Soviet Republic recognizes no differences of race or nationality. It shall not permit any form of oppression of national minorities nor any abridgement of the use of their language. Everyone shall be permitted to use his mother tongue freely, and it shall be the duty of all officials to accept any document written in any language in use in Hungary, to hear everyone in his native tongue, and to deal with him in that tongue.

The Central Organization of the Soviet Government

Sec. 15. In the Soviet Republic the supreme authority shall be vested in the National Congress of the Federated Soviets.

Sec. 16. The jurisdiction of the National Congress of Soviets shall extend over all state affairs of high importance, in particular (1) the establishment and amendment of the Constitution of the Hungarian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic; (2) the establishment and modification of the boundaries of the country; (3) the declaring of war and the negotiating of peace; (4) the closing of international agreements; (5) the raising of state loans; (6) the supreme direction of external and internal policies; (7) the division of the country into districts; (8) the definition of the jurisdiction of the local councils; (9) the general direction of the economic life of the country, in its entirety as well as in its separate branches; (10) the establishment and modification of the monetary system and the system of weights and measures; (11) the drawing up of the budget of the Soviet Republic; (12) the determination of the public burden; (13) the determination of the system of defense; (14) the regulation of the right of state citizenship; (IS) state, civil, and criminal legislation; (16) the determination of the structure of the judicial system; (17) general or partial amnesty; (18) the supreme direction of cultural affairs.

All questions relating to the affairs over which the National Congress of Federated Soviets has established its authority shall be brought up in the National Congress of Soviets. During: the time that the National Congress of Federated Soviets is not in session its jurisdiction shall be exercised by the Directing Federal Central Committee.

The following, however, shall come unconditionally and solely under the jurisdiction of the National Congress of Federated Soviets:

a) the establishment and amendment of the Constitution; b) the declaring of war and the negotiation of peace; c) the determination of the boundaries of the country.

Sec. 17. The National Congress of Soviets shall be convened by the Directing Federal Central Committee at least twice in each year.

Sec. 18. The National Congress of Soviets must be convened by the Federal Central Committee upon demand of the Councils of districts and cities whose population totals at least one-third of the population of the country.

Sec. 19. The Directing Federal Central Committee, which is to be elected by the National Congress of Federated Soviets, shall consist of not more than 150 members. All nationalities living in the country shall be represented in the Central Committee in proportion to their population.

Sec. 20. The Directing Central Committee shall, during the time that the National Congress of the Councils is not in session, assume the conduct of state affairs; it shall exercise supreme legislative and executive power. During the other time it shall always participate directly in the control of state affairs. From among its members shall be chosen, besides the People’s Deputies, all committees assigned to the People’s Commissariats and supplementing the work of the People’s Deputies.

Sec. 21. The Directing Central Committee directs the activities of the Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Councils as well as of all representative publications of the Councils. It shall care for the practical working out of the Soviet Constitution and carry out the decisions of the National Congress of Soviets.

Sec. 22. The Directing Central Committee shall report to the National Congress of Soviets concerning its operations. It shall keep the Congress informed of the general political and economic situation, as also concerning definite questions of greater importance.

Sec. 23. The Directing Central Committee shall be responsible for its actions to the National Congress of Soviets.

Sec. 24. The Directing Central Committee shall elect the Revolutionary Soviet Government and its President.

Sec. 25. The members of the Revolutionary Soviet Government are the People’s Deputies. The Revolutionary Soviet Government shall appoint the People’s Deputies to the heads of the various People’s Commissariats and of the main sections of the People’s Council for Political Economy.

Sec. 26. It shall be the duty of the Revolutionary Soviet Government to transact the affairs of the Soviet Republic in accordance with the injunctions of the National Congress of Soviets, as well as of the Federal Central Committee.

Sec. 27. The Revolutionary Soviet Government shall have the power to issue decrees. In general it may order all that is necessary for the speedy transaction of state business.

Sec. 28. The Revolutionary Soviet Government shall inform the Directing Central Committee forthwith of its decrees, decisions, and any measures taken in important affairs.

Sec. 29. The Directing Central Committee shall examine the decrees, decisions, and measures of the Revolutionary Soviet Government, the People’s Council for Political Economy, and all other People’s Commissariats, and shall have power to amend them.

Sec. 30. The Soviet Government may take steps in state matters of decisive importance without previous dispensation of the Directing Central Committee only in case of extraordinary urgency.

Sec. 31. The members of the Revolutionary Soviet Government are responsible to the National Congress of Soviets and the Directing Federal Central Committee.

Sec. 32. The various People’s Commissaires shall be, as follows: (1) the People’s Council for Political Economy; (2) the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs; (3) for Military Affairs; (4) for the Interior; (5) for Justice; (6) for Public Welfare and Health: (7) for Education; (8) the German; (9) the Russian People’s Commissariat.

Sec. 33. The various People’s Deputies may, within the jurisdiction of their respective People’s Commissariats, and the People’s Council for Political Economy in questions coming under its jurisdiction, issue decrees and injunctions. The Revolutionary Soviet Government shall have power to amend the decrees of the People’s Council for Political Economy as well as those of the various People’s Commissariats.

Sec. 34. The jurisdiction of the People’s Council for Political Economy shall extend over the uniform control of production and the distribution of goods, the issuing and executing of decrees affecting the national economy, and the technical and economic control of the agencies of production and distribution.

Sec. 35. The main divisions of the People’s Council for Political Economy are as follows:

a) general administration of production, husbandry of raw materials, and foreign trade; b) agriculture and cattle-raising; c) technical direction of industrial production and channels of distribution; d) finance; e) public relief; f) traffic; g) economic organization and control; h) labor.

Organization of the Local Soviets

Sections 38 to 65 concern the structure of the local system of councils, the prescriptions for suffrage, the powers and the mutual relations of the councils, which hold all political power in their hands. On account of lack of space we can reproduce only a few of the most important dispositions.

The working rural population sends one member to the village council for each 100 inhabitants, the working urban population sends only one member for each 500 inhabitants to the city council. The village and city councils of a district elect the District Workers’, Peasants’ and Soldiers’ Council, in which the delegates of the cities may not comprise more than one half. For every 1000 inhabitants there is one member. The district councils of each county (comitat) elect the county councils, one delegate being elected for each 5000 inhabitants.

Sec. 48. The function of the village, city, district, and county councils shall be to promote in every way the economic and cultural welfare of the working people living within the borders of their respective territorial units. To this end they shall decide all matters of local significance and execute all decrees referred to them by their superior councils and People’s Commissariats.

Sec. 49. The previously existing machinery of local administration herewith ceases to exist. The personnel taken over by the councils with the public offices and public works shall be at the disposal of the councils. The administration and other public buildings that have heretofore served the purposes of local government shall be transferred, together with their equipment, into the hands of the councils.

Sec. 52. The councils shall constantly observe whether the ordinances of their superior administrative bodies prove satisfactory. They shall direct the attention of the latter or of the appropriate People’s Commissariat to any shortcomings and may present suggestions, if in their opinion any measure of the higher administration or of any other body seems necessary.

Sec. 53. The councils shall receive all the public works and institutions serving the dietary, hygienic, economic, cultural and similar needs of the population, may create new ones and recommend the establishment of others to their superior councils.

Sec. 54. The villages, cities, districts and counties shall conduct their financial affairs independently, within the limits ordained by the People’s Council for Political Economy.

Sec. 55. The councils shall have power to choose and discharge officials and other trained workers, including the transferred personnel of the former administration. Any trust conferred upon an officer of the Hungarian Soviet Republic may be revoked at any time.

Sec. 58. In counties, cities and districts special committees of experts (sub-committees) shall be regularly formed for the following affairs: (1) economic, financial and industrial; (2) roads and public traffic; (3) public welfare and health; (4) housing; (5) public relief; (6) cultural affairs.

Sec. 62. The councils shall see to it that disputing parties receive prompt and accurate advices in regard to their cases without any formalities and in their mother-tongue; that appropriate agencies exist for receiving oral complaints and requests; that, after the hearing of the interested parties and after a complete disposition of the case—based, wherever possible, upon direct observation of the circumstances—the requests be discharged within the shortest time possible, without awaiting solicitation, and the parties be notified thereof in appropriate form.

Suffrage

Sec. 66. In the Hungarian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic only the working people shall have the right to vote. All those are voters and eligible for election to membership in the councils, regardless of sex, who have passed their eighteenth year and as workers or employees, etc., live by work that is useful to society, or occupy themselves with household labor which makes possible the labor of the abovementioned workers or employees, etc. Further, soldiers of the Red Army are voters and eligible for election, as well as those workers and soldiers who have formerly lived by useful labor, but have entirely or partially lost their capacity for labor.

Sec. 67. Citizens of other states shall also be voters and eligible for election, provided, they fulfill the conditions contained in preceding sections.

Sec. 68. The following may not vote and are not eligible for election: a) all those who employ wage-workers for the purpose of obtaining profit; b) those who live off unearned income; c) merchants; d) clergymen and members of. religious orders; e) those mentally deranged and those living under guardianship; f) those whose political rights have been suspended because of a crime committed from base motives, for the period of time stipulated in the conviction.

The Budget Privilege

Sec. 78. The Hungarian Soviet Government shall be guided in its financial policy exclusively from the point of view of the satisfaction of the needs of its workers. It shall show no consideration for unearned income.

Sec. 79. The branches of the Soviet Republic may collect receipts and defray expenditures only within the limits of an approved budget.

Sec. 80. The estimate of costs for the village, district, city and county shall be determined by the appropriate local council upon the suggestion of the directing committee, the estimate of costs for the Soviet Republic by the National Congress of Soviets upon the suggestion of the Revolutionary Soviet Government or of the Directing Central Committee.

The Rights of Nationalities in the Hungarian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic

Sec. 84. All nationalities living in the Hungarian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic may use their language freely and foster and promote their own culture. To this end any national group, even if it does not live in a continuous territory, may create a federal council for the promotion of its culture.

Sec. 85. As a result of the Soviet system the local administration will be conducted by the workers of those nationalities whose workers form the majority in their respective local unit. This sort of local administration will naturally find expression in the matter of language. The national minorities may, nevertheless, use their own speech in dealing with the agents of the Soviets. This system cannot disturb the Soviet organization based upon territorial principles.

Sec. 86. Wherever the workers of any particular nationality in a continuous territory extending over several districts find themselves in the majority, independent counties shall be created.

Where any particular national group in a continuous territory extending over several counties finds itself in the majority, the districts may unite into one national county.

The counties united in this manner are, through the national county, parts of the Hungarian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic.

Sec. 87. The Hungarian continuous counties with German majority or Russian majority are herewith recognized under the Constitution of the Federated Soviet Republic as German and Russian national counties. In matters affecting the universal interests of the Soviet Republic the decisions of the Federated Soviet Republic extend to the national counties.

Sec. 88. The Hungarian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic shall interpose no obstacle if the national groups of the increasingly independent territories, empowered by their population and their economic strength, decide to form a separate Soviet Republic allied with the Hungarian Soviet Republic.

Sec. 89. The provisions of the Constitution relating to the rights of nationalities may be amended only with the consent of the Federal Council of the workers of the participating national groups.

The Class Struggle is considered the first pro-Bolshevik journal in the United States and began in the aftermath of Russia’s February Revolution. A bi-monthly often over 100 pages and published between May 1917 and November 1919, first in Boston and then in New York City by the Socialist Publication Society. Its original editors were Ludwig Lore, Louis B. Boudin, and Louis C. Fraina. The Class Struggle became the primary English-language paper of the Socialist Party’s left wing and emerging Communist movement and paid lose attention to the fight in the Socialist Party and debates within the international movement. Many Bolshevik writers and leaders first came to US militants attention through The Class Struggle, with many translated texts first appearing here. Its last issue was published by the Communist Labor Party of America.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/class-struggle/v3n3aug1919.pdf