in 1788 and looted by Ottomans in 1789 during Austro-Turkish War (1788–1791). The 1848/1849 Revolution During the Revolutions of 1848, revolutionaries took over the Hungarian government. Because the Austrian commander of the city's garrison decided to defend the Habsburg interests, the Hungarian army began an unsuccessful siege of Temesvár that lasted for 114 days. In the later stage of the revolution, the city was captured by the Serbian troops and for a short time was a capital of the Serbian Vojvodina. Modernization of Temesvár The development of the city continued after the attempted 1848/1849 revolution. In 1849, Temesvár became the capital of the new Habsburg province named Voivodeship of Serbia and Temes Banat. The province was abolished in 1860. The city became capital of Temes County after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 which united the administrations of the region with those of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1853 telegraphy was introduced in the city, and in 1857 Timișoara received gas street lighting. In 1857 a train line linking Temesvár with Szeged was constructed, and in 1867 horse trams were introduced in the city. The Hungarian city of Temesvár became the first European city to have electric street lights in 1884, while the trams became electric in 1899 (after Bucharest in 1884). Temesvár was also the first city in the Kingdom of Hungary and later Romania to have an ambulance station. After World War I, following an ephemerous pro-Hungary Banat Republic, and occupation by the Serbian Army, Timișoara was incorporated into the Kingdom of Romania in 1919 together with most of the Banat region. The Romanian Revolution of 1989 In December 1989 a popular uprising began in Timișoara against the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu. The Hungarian Calvinist pastor László Tőkés was ordered to be deported by the Securitate, or secret police, and as a reaction his house was surrounded by members of his church. People supporting him, including people of Romanian origin, gathered at the central square (Opera Square). The Communist administration ordered the army to fire at the congregation. However, a number of army officers refused to open fire and sided with the people. That was the beginning of the Romanian Revolution of 1989, which ended the Communist regime a week later. Timișoara was declared the first Free Town on 20 December 1989, suffering 130 reported deaths and 3,352 wounded during the revolution . Timetable of the history of