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Why did Joseph II make German the official language of government in Hungary?

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Portrait painting of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, wearing a black and red military coat with medals and a sash, with St. Peter's Basilica visible in the background. — Joseph II Joseph II, Holy Roman emperor, detail of a painting by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni, 1769; in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

In 1784, Joseph II mandated that German replace Latin as the official language of government in Hungary primarily to facilitate more efficient administration.12

Joseph II believed that Latin was ineffective for the requirements of modern government. Furthermore, because Hungarian was spoken by only a portion of the kingdom's population, he viewed German as a more practical administrative tool to unify the management of his territories. Under this policy, German was to be implemented in central offices immediately, followed by county and local offices over a three-year period. Additionally, the reform restricted government employment and membership in the Hungarian Diet to German speakers.12

While intended to streamline state functions, the ruling was widely perceived by Hungarians as a direct threat to their national culture, sparking significant resistance and contributing to the political instability that eventually forced Joseph II to retract many of his administrative reforms before his death.312