Koszta Affair

The Koszta Affair (1853) was the name applied to a diplomatic episode between the United States and the Austrian Empire involving the rights in foreign countries of new Americans who were not yet fully naturalized.

Martin Koszta, a man of Hungarian birth, had taken part in the political movement of 1848-49 for detaching Hungary from the dominion of the Emperor of Austria (of which it was part). He fled to Turkey upon the failure of that movement. After a short detention, he emigrated to the United States. In July 1852, he made a declaration under oath of his intention to become a citizen of the United States and, at the same time, renounced all allegiance to any foreign power.

After residing in the United States for a year and eleven months, Koszta returned to Turkey on private business. He was placed under the protection of the United States by the American consul at Smyrna and the American chargé d'affaires ad interim at Constantinople. While waiting to return to the United States, Koszta was captured by Austrian officers and taken by force aboard the Austrian brig-of-war Huszár and confined in chains. United States officials protested in vain to the Turkish government and the Austrian officers.

Americans learned of rumors that the prisoner was to be transported secretly to Trieste. Under instructions from the American Minister at Istanbul, Captain Duncan Ingraham of the United States sloop-of-war Saint Louis, which was then lying in Smyrna harbor, on July 2, 1853, threatened to open fire on the Huszar if Koszta was not surrendered to him by four o'clock. The Austrian consul general agreed to allow Koszta to be held by the consul general of France until some agreement with the United States was reached.

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