The Union Of Austria And Hungary: A Historical Perspective

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. The Compromise was arranged by the Habsburgs and part of the Hungarian political elite, and was seen by a large part of the population as a betrayal of the Hungarian cause. The agreement restored the historic constitution of the Kingdom of Hungary, and gave Hungary full internal autonomy, in exchange for the maintenance of a single great state for purposes of war and foreign affairs.

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867

The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereignty and status of the Kingdom of Hungary, separate from the Austrian Empire. It put an end to the 18-year-long military dictatorship and absolutist rule over Hungary, which Emperor Franz Joseph had instituted after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. The territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Hungary was restored, along with its old historic constitution. Hungary received full internal autonomy and a responsible ministry. In return, Hungary agreed that the empire should remain a single great state for the purposes of war and foreign affairs.

The Compromise was seen by a large part of the Hungarian population as a betrayal of the Hungarian cause and the heritage of the 1848-49 War of Independence. The political maintenance of the Compromise, and thus Austria-Hungary itself, was mostly a result of the popularity of the pro-compromise ruling Liberal Party among ethnic minority voters in the Kingdom of Hungary.

The Second Italian War of Independence

Austria and Hungary united in 1867 through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, which established a dual monarchy and a military and diplomatic alliance between the two sovereign states. This came about as a result of the Second Italian War of Independence and the Austro-Prussian War, which left the Habsburg Empire on the verge of collapse. The Second Italian War of Independence, also known as the Franco-Austrian War, the Austro-Sardinian War, or the Austro-Piedmontese War, was fought by the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859. The war was a key event in the process of Italian unification and played a pivotal role in shaping modern Europe. It lasted from April to July 1859 and included the notable battles of Magenta and Solferino, which were both allied victories. The conflict was short, but it had a significant impact on the future of the region. The Piedmontese, having been defeated by Austria in the First Italian War of Independence, sought allies and established relations with other European powers, including through participation in the Crimean War. In the peace conference at Paris for the Crimean War, Piedmont attempted to bring attention to efforts for Italian unification. The Second Italian War of Independence thus marked a turning point in the struggle for Italian unification, setting the stage for the creation of a unified Italian nation.

The Austro-Prussian War

As a result of the Austro-Prussian War, the Habsburg Empire was on the verge of collapse. The wars caused monumental state debt and a financial crisis, forcing the Habsburgs to reconcile with Hungary to save their empire and dynasty. This led to the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary as a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. The Compromise was arranged by the Habsburgs and a small part of the Hungarian political elite, with less than 8% of the population having voting rights.

The Compromise only partially restored the former sovereignty and status of the Kingdom of Hungary, which had been subject to an 18-year-long military dictatorship and absolutist rule by Emperor Franz Joseph after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. Hungary received full internal autonomy and a responsible ministry, while agreeing that the empire should remain a single great state for purposes of war and foreign affairs. In exchange, Franz Joseph surrendered his domestic prerogatives in Hungary, including the protection of non-Magyar peoples, to maintain dynastic prestige abroad.

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise was bitterly unpopular among ethnic Hungarian voters, who saw it as a betrayal of their interests and the achievements of the 1848 reforms. However, the political maintenance of the Compromise, and thus the union of Austria-Hungary, was largely due to the popularity of the pro-compromise ruling Liberal Party among ethnic minority voters in the Kingdom of Hungary. The Compromise also had significant economic implications, with economic growth centred on Vienna and Budapest, leading to disparities in development within the empire.

In the later years of the 19th century, the dynamic city of Pest grew into Hungary's administrative, political, economic, trade and cultural hub. In 1873, the old Hungarian capital Buda and Óbuda were merged with Pest, creating the new metropolis of Budapest. This period saw the establishment of many state institutions and the modern administrative system of Hungary, with rapid economic growth spreading to the central Hungarian plain and the Carpathian lands.

The Habsburgs

The Compromise established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. The agreement was a compromise between the emperor and Hungary, not between Hungary and the rest of the empire. The peoples of the empire were not consulted, despite Franz Joseph’s earlier promise not to make further constitutional changes without the advice of the imperial parliament, the Reichsrat. Hungary received full internal autonomy, together with a responsible ministry, and, in return, agreed that the empire should still be a single great state for purposes of war and foreign affairs. Franz Joseph thus surrendered his domestic prerogatives in Hungary, including his protection of the non-Magyar peoples, in exchange for the maintenance of dynastic prestige abroad.

The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereignty and status of the Kingdom of Hungary, being separate from, and no longer subject to, the Austrian Empire. The compromise put an end to the 18-year-long military dictatorship and absolutist rule over Hungary which Emperor Franz Joseph had instituted after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. The territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Hungary was restored. The agreement also restored the old historic constitution of the Kingdom of Hungary.

The Hungarian Revolution of 1848

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. This followed a period of Greater German ambitions, when Austria tried to establish itself as the leading German power. The compromise was a direct consequence of the Second Italian War of Independence and the Austro-Prussian War, which left the Habsburg Empire on the verge of collapse. The Habsburgs were forced to reconcile with Hungary to save their empire and dynasty.

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