Why did Lajos Kossuth link Hungarian reform to political independence?

Lajos Kossuth linked Hungarian reform to political independence because he believed that the removal of "the dead hand of Viennese absolutism" was the only way to safeguard the liberties of Hungary and the other peoples of the monarchy.1

For Kossuth, political control was the central issue preventing meaningful progress. While reformers had agreed on an extensive program of social and political change, they reached a deadlock with the Austrian authorities. Kossuth argued that as long as Vienna maintained absolute power, the internal reforms—such as the abolition of villein status and the reorganization of the parliament—remained vulnerable to interference.12

This conviction intensified as tensions grew over the control of finance and defense services, which became the primary points of conflict between the Hungarian government and Vienna. Ultimately, Kossuth’s insistence on independence led him to push for the full sovereignty of Hungary and the deposition of the Habsburg dynasty in 1849, viewing the total break from Austrian centralism as the only path to securing the nation's future.12