Austria's Imperial Ambitions: Colonial Dreams And Realities

From the 17th to the 19th century, the Austrian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire made several attempts to expand overseas colonial trade, but these were mostly short-lived. The Czech Republic and Slovakia were colonies of Austria and Hungary, respectively, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was focused on expansion into the Balkans, particularly Bosnia. The empire's attitude towards colonisation was complex, with Hungarian elites opposing attempts to create colonies in other parts of the world, prioritising domestic affairs and improvements at home. However, due to its involvement in European politics and the scramble for power, the empire was dragged into engaging in colonial attempts.

Austria's ruler also separately ruled Spain, which had a large colonial empire

From 1519 to 1556, Austria's ruler, Emperor Charles V, also separately ruled Spain. During this period, Charles V was at the helm of both the Spanish Empire and the Holy Roman Empire.

Charles V's rule marked a significant period in Spanish history, known as the "Age of Expansion". Under his leadership, Spain expanded its territories across different continents, including modern-day Spain, parts of France, Portugal, the Americas, the West Indies, the Low Countries, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, and Southeast Asia.

The Spanish colonies, however, were not linked to Austria during Charles V's reign. While Charles V was the ruler of both empires, no other Austrians were involved in governing the Spanish colonies.

The Habsburgs, the dynasty to which Charles V belonged, were known as the "House of Austria," reflecting their power base in Vienna. This dynasty produced several monarchs who ruled over diverse territories, including kings and queens of Spain, Bohemia, Hungary, Croatia, and Portugal, each with their respective colonies.

The Habsburgs sought to consolidate their power through strategic marriages, which contributed to inbreeding within the family. This led to health issues and physical deformities among some members of the family, including the "Habsburg jaw," a prominent facial feature.

The Habsburg dynasty's rule extended across Europe and beyond, leaving a lasting legacy in the regions they governed.

The Ostend East India Company was a private merchant company formed in 1715

The Ostend Company was established to take advantage of new opportunities for trade with the East Indies following the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). This conflict altered trading relations with the Iberian Peninsula, and in 1713 the Southern Netherlands was ceded to Austria. While this initially seemed like an economic disaster for Flemish entrepreneurs, more liberal Viennese perspectives on international commerce soon presented new opportunities. Interest in the East Indies grew, inspired by the lucrative expeditions of the Saint-Malo armateurs to the South Sea and China.

The Ostend Company was officially chartered by the Austrian ruler, Emperor Charles VI, in December 1722. The company's capital was fixed at 6 million guilders, composed of 6,000 shares of 1,000 guilders each. The directors of the company were drawn from the leading Flemish trading houses with interests in East India. The company also possessed two factories (trading posts) at Cabelon (modern-day Covelong) on the Coromandel Coast and Banquibazar (Ichapore) in Bengal.

Between 1724 and 1732, the Ostend Company sent 21 vessels mainly to Canton in China and to Bengal. The rise in tea prices at the time led to high profits in the China trade. Between 1719 and 1728, the company transported 7 million pounds of tea from China, which was about half of the total amount brought to Western Europe. The success of the Ostend Company was due in part to the speed of its ships, which allowed it to make shorter voyages than its European competitors.

Despite its profitability, the Ostend Company faced opposition from established East India companies in Britain, the Dutch Republic, and France, who feared its formidable imperial patronage. They exerted diplomatic pressure on Austria, and in May 1727, the Emperor suspended the company's charter for seven years. In March 1731, the Second Treaty of Vienna ordered the final abolition of the company. The flourishing Ostend Company had been sacrificed to secure the dynastic succession of Emperor Charles VI's daughter, Maria Theresa.

The Austrian Asiatic Company of Trieste was headed by Colonel William Bolts

In 1778, Bolts and his company of Austrian-Italian subjects sailed from Flanders and docked in Delagoa Bay (now known as Maputo Bay) in 1779. Here, he made treaties with the local Mabudu chieftains and established a trading post. The trading post was highly successful, and profits reached as high as 75,000 pounds per year. However, the Portuguese expelled the Austrians from Delagoa Bay in 1781.

After his success in Delagoa Bay, Bolts directed a venture to the Nicobar Islands as part of his colonial ventures in India. In 1778, Gottfried Stahl and his crew arrived on the Nicobar Islands and made a contract with the Nicobarese to sign over all twenty-four islands to the Austrians. The colonization effort was successful until Stahl, whom Bolts had appointed as head of the colony, died in 1783. The colonists lost courage, and the islands were abandoned in 1785.

Despite his achievements, Bolts' venture ultimately made a loss, which dismayed his Belgian financial backers. He also faced opposition from the British East India Company, which sought to "counteract and defeat" him. In addition, Bolts had a dispute with his Belgian financial backer, Charles Proli, over the importance of the China market versus the Indian market. As a result of these challenges, Bolts ceded his charter to his Belgian partners in 1781 and surrendered his charters to the new Imperial Company of Trieste and Antwerp in 1782.

Overall, the Austrian Asiatic Company of Trieste, headed by Colonel William Bolts, made several short-lived attempts to establish colonies in Delagoa Bay and the Nicobar Islands. However, these ventures ultimately faced international pressure, opposition from other powers, and internal disputes, leading to their eventual failure.

The Austro-Hungarian Navy helped in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion in China

The Austro-Hungarian Navy did indeed play a role in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion in China. In 1900, the Austro-Hungarian Navy was part of the Eight-Nation Alliance, a coalition of eight nations that invaded northern China in response to the Boxer Rebellion. The Austro-Hungarian Navy sent four cruisers and a force of 296 marines to China, making it the smallest force dispatched by any nation in the alliance.

The Boxer Rebellion was a nationalist and traditionalist movement in China that sought to end foreign imperialism and economic exploitation in the country. The rebellion began in 1899 and targeted foreign missionaries, nationals, and Chinese Christians, resulting in attacks and killings across northern China. The Austro-Hungarian Navy's involvement in suppressing the rebellion was limited, as most of the fighting had already ended by the time its forces arrived in September 1900. However, they did participate in several key engagements before the rebellion's conclusion in 1901.

One notable action of the Austro-Hungarian Navy during the Boxer Rebellion was their defence of the Tianjin railway against Boxer forces in June 1900. They also fired upon several armed junks on the Hai River near Tongzhou and took part in the seizure of the Taku Forts, which commanded the approaches to Tianjin. Additionally, detachments of sailors from the Austro-Hungarian cruiser SMS Zenta were involved in defending the besieged foreign legations in Beijing and in rescue attempts.

After the Boxer Rebellion was suppressed, the Austro-Hungarian Navy maintained a permanent presence in China, with a cruiser stationed on the Chinese coast and a detachment of marines deployed at the Austro-Hungarian embassy in Beijing. The Austro-Hungarian Navy's involvement in China during this period reflects the country's interest in expanding its colonial trade and influence in the region. However, their contribution to the Eight-Nation Alliance was relatively minor compared to other nations in the coalition.

The Hungarian elite of the monarchy opposed the idea of buying Western Sahara from the Spanish Empire

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was not a traditional colonial empire, but it did make several attempts to establish overseas territories. In 1898, the Spanish Empire, having just been defeated by the United States, tried to sell Western Sahara to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. However, the Hungarian elite of the monarchy opposed this idea, and negotiations were cut short. The Hungarians believed that the monarchy should focus on domestic affairs and improvements at home instead of expanding to far-away lands. This was not the only time that Hungarian opposition prevented colonial expansion; the Hungarian Parliament had long opposed naval expansion, and the Hungarians had prevented the purchase of the Nicobar Islands, which had been suggested by the Austro-Hungarian Colonial Society.

The Hungarian elite's opposition to colonialism was not the only reason that the Austro-Hungarian Empire never acquired colonies. The Emperor Franz Joseph wanted nothing to do with colonialism and was more concerned with keeping the empire together. Additionally, the empire's focus on expansion into the Balkans and its heavy involvement in European politics meant that it had less interest in overseas territories. The empire's relatively weak fleet and finances also hindered its ability to establish colonies.

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