In addition to the struggle for individual liberties, the Hungarian War of Independence in 1848-1849 also aimed to establish national autonomy. An important step in this process was the establishment of the Hungarian Defence Forces. On 16 May 1848, Lajos Kossuth, the Minister of Defence of the first accountable Hungarian government, published his famous proclamation on the establishment of the Hungarian Defence Battalions, thereby creating the first centrally organised Hungarian army, which celebrates its 175th anniversary this year.
The main task of the Hungarian Defence Forces is currently to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and to strengthen the collective defence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Its further tasks include contributing to other allied missions undertaken jointly in partnership and in accordance with international treaties, peace support and humanitarian operations, response to major industrial and natural disasters, and advanced training of allied military and civilian law enforcement forces, including outside the NATO and the European Union.
