Austria-Hungary's Pre-Wwi Colonial Empire: Extent And Impact

In 1914, Austria-Hungary was the second largest state in Europe, with the third largest population. It covered an area that today lies within the borders of Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine. Austria-Hungary held no colonies outside of Europe, except for a small neighbourhood in the Chinese city of Tianjin, acquired after the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901). By 1914, the monarchy could mobilise some 1.8-2 million men, compared to Germany's 2.4 million and Russia's 3.4 million.

Austria-Hungary's colonial domains

In 1914, Austria-Hungary was Europe's second-largest state by area, covering territory that today lies within the borders of Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine.

Austria-Hungary held no colonies outside of Europe, except for a small neighbourhood in the Chinese city of Tianjin, acquired after the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901). It had also annexed the formerly Ottoman territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, which were a major factor in the Austro-Hungarian entry into World War I in 1914.

The area of all the lands that were once Austria-Hungary and its colonies is 796,836 square kilometres, with about 84.4% of that area being just Austria-Hungary.

Austria-Hungary's military spending

Austria-Hungary had no colonies outside of Europe in 1914, except for a small neighbourhood in the Chinese city of Tianjin, which it acquired after the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901). It also held colonial domains in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which it had annexed in 1908.

In 1914, Austria-Hungary spent less on its military than Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia. Only about 25% of Austro-Hungarian male citizens were called up to serve, compared to 86% in France, 40% in Germany, and 37% in Russia. This was due to the unwillingness of the parliaments to support the military's budgetary demands. Despite this, the monarchy could mobilise some 1.8-2 million men, compared to Germany's 2.4 million and Russia's 3.4 million.

Austria-Hungary's population

In 1914, Austria-Hungary was Europe's second-largest state, with the third-largest population after Russia and Germany. It covered an area that today lies within the borders of Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine.

Austria-Hungary had no colonies outside of Europe, except for a small neighbourhood in the Chinese city of Tianjin, which it acquired after the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901). It also held colonial domains in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which it had annexed from the Ottoman Empire in 1908.

The population of Austria-Hungary in 1914 is estimated to have been around 52.2 million people. The monarchy could mobilise some 1.8-2 million men for military service, compared to Germany's 2.4 million and Russia's 3.4 million. Only about 25% of Austro-Hungarian male citizens were called up to serve, which was a significantly lower rate than in other European countries such as France (86%), Germany (40%), and Russia (37%)%. This low mobilisation rate resulted largely from the unwillingness of the parliaments to support the military's budgetary demands.

Austria-Hungary's telephone exchanges

In 1914, Austria-Hungary had no colonies outside of Europe, except for a small neighbourhood in the Chinese city of Tianjin, which it acquired after the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901).

The idea for the telephone exchange came from the Hungarian engineer Tivadar Puskás in 1876, while he was working for Thomas Edison on a telegraph exchange. The first telephone exchange in Austria-Hungary was opened in Zagreb on 8 January 1881, followed by Budapest on 1 May 1881 and Vienna on 3 June 1881. Initially, telephony was available in the homes of individual subscribers, companies and offices. Public telephone stations appeared in the 1890s and quickly became widespread in post offices and railway stations.

The first Hungarian telephone factory, the Factory for Telephone Apparatuses, was founded by János Neuhold in Budapest in 1879. It produced telephones, microphones, telegraphs and telephone exchanges. In 1884, the Tungsram company also started to produce microphones, telephone apparatuses, telephone switchboards and cables. The Ericsson company established a factory for telephones and switchboards in Budapest in 1911.

By 1913, Austria-Hungary had 568 million telephone calls, making it the third most telephoned country in Western Europe, after the German Empire and the United Kingdom.

Austria-Hungary's railway network

Austria-Hungary did not have any colonies in 1914, except for a small neighbourhood in the Chinese city of Tianjin, which was acquired after the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901). It had also annexed the formerly Ottoman territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908.

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