Battle of Kápolna: Austrians defeat the Hungarians

Background. Following the Austrian offensive in the winter of 1848–1849, which resulted in the loss of western Hungary, the Hungarian army attempted its first major counter-attack. The concentration of Hungarian forces became possible after the breakthrough at Branyiszkó on 5 February 1849. Windisch-Grätz learned on 18–19 February that the Hungarian main army was concentrated around Mezőkövesd and Eger, intending to attack Pest.

Command and Organization. The Hungarian revolutionary army was led by Lieutenant General Henryk Dembiński, whose leadership was described as disastrous. Dembiński disrupted the military organization established by early February 1849 by moving divisions without the knowledge of corps commanders, leading to unclear subordination relations. The Austrian main army was commanded by Field Marshal Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz.

Political Consequences. The Austrian victory at Kápolna influenced the politics of central Europe. Windisch-Grätz's exaggerated report created a delusion in Vienna that the Hungarian army was destroyed. Consequently, Franz Joseph I announced the March Constitution on 4 March 1849, which abolished the Hungarian constitution and rights recognized since 1222.