Why did Hungary declare independence from the Habsburg dynasty in 1849?

Hungary declared independence from the Habsburg dynasty on April 14, 1849, primarily as a direct response to the Austrian court's attempt to abolish the March Laws through a new panmonarchic constitution.12

The conflict originated in 1848, when Hungarian reformers, led by Lajos Kossuth, secured significant internal reforms, including the abolition of villein status and the establishment of a responsible, independent Hungarian ministry. However, these reforms faced intense opposition from centralists in Vienna who viewed Hungarian autonomy as a threat to the integrity of the monarchy.12

Tensions escalated when the Austrian-backed Croatian ban, Josip Jelačić, invaded Hungary in September 1848. Following the forced abdication of Emperor Ferdinand I in favor of Franz Joseph and the subsequent revocation of the March Laws, a rump Hungarian Diet—inspired by Kossuth—formally deposed the "perjured House of Habsburg-Lorraine" to protect the nation's sovereignty. This declaration of independence was a defensive act against the reimposition of absolutist rule from Vienna.132