Austria-Hungary's Post-Wwi Punishment: Treaty Of Versailles

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was severely weakened by World War I, with its multi-ethnic army losing morale and facing increasing pressure from nationalist movements within the empire. The eventual collapse of the empire was formalised by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye with Austria and the Treaty of Trianon with Hungary, which ceded territories to other countries and reduced both nations to small, landlocked states.

The Austro-Hungarian monarchy lost its authority over several territories

The remaining territories inhabited by divided peoples fell into the composition of existing or newly formed states. The collapse of the empire was formalized in the September 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye with Austria and the June 1920 Treaty of Trianon with Hungary. Later, additional territories were ceded to other countries.

The Republic of Austria lost roughly 60% of the old Austrian Empire's territory. It also had to abandon its plans for union with Germany, as it was not allowed to unite without League approval. The new Austrian state was on shakier ground than Hungary, as it had never been a nation in any real sense. Vienna, the imperial capital, was now lacking an empire to support it.

By comparison, Hungary had been a nation and state for over 900 years. However, it was severely disrupted by the loss of 72% of its territory, 64% of its population, and most of its natural resources. The First Hungarian Republic was short-lived and was replaced by the Hungarian Soviet Republic.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Treaty of Trianon formalised the collapse of the empire

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon formalised the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The former treaty, signed in September 1919, was between the victors of World War I and Austria and also acted as a peace treaty after the war. The latter treaty, signed in June 1920, was between the victors and Hungary. These treaties regulated the new borders of Austria and Hungary, reducing them to small, landlocked states.

The new borders became major economic barriers, disrupting the previously rapid economic growth of the imperial territories. This was because many established industries and infrastructure elements in the emerging countries were designed to meet the needs of an extensive realm. As a result, the new countries were often compelled to make considerable sacrifices to transform their economies, leading to political unease in the affected regions and, in some cases, fuelling extremist movements.

The Republic of Austria lost roughly 60% of the old Austrian Empire's territory. It also had to abandon its plans for union with Germany, as it was not allowed to unite without League approval. The new Austrian state was, at least on paper, in a more precarious position than Hungary. Unlike its former Hungarian partner, Austria had never been a nation in any real sense. While the Austrian state had existed in one form or another for 700 years, it was united only by loyalty to the Habsburgs. Vienna, the former imperial capital, was now an oversized city lacking an empire to support it.

Hungary, on the other hand, had been a nation and state for over 900 years. However, it was severely disrupted by the loss of 72% of its territory, 64% of its population, and most of its natural resources. The First Hungarian Republic was short-lived and was replaced by the communist Hungarian Soviet Republic. Romanian troops ousted Béla Kun and the communist government during the Hungarian-Romanian War of 1919.

The Republic of Austria lost 60% of its old territory

The Republic of Austria was created after the signing of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in September 1919, marking the end of the First World War and the Habsburg rump state of the Republic of German-Austria. The treaty reduced Austria's borders, ceding German-populated regions in Sudetenland to Czechoslovakia, German-populated South Tyrol to Italy, and a portion of the Alpine provinces to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kraljevina Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca, or SHS, also known as Yugoslavia). The Republic of Austria was also forbidden from uniting with Germany without the consent of the League of Nations.

The Republic of Austria was now a small, landlocked country of about 6.5 million people, with 4 million Austrian Germans excluded from the new state and placed under Czechoslovak, Italian, and Yugoslav rule. Vienna, with its population of almost 2 million, was left as an imperial capital without an empire to support it. Only 17.8 percent of Austria's land was arable, and the vast majority of arable land in the former Austrian half of the empire was now part of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. The Republic of Austria had lost roughly 60% of the old Austrian Empire's territory.

The Hungarian Republic lost 72% of its territory

The Kingdom of Hungary was punished after World War I by the Treaty of Trianon, which established Hungary's current borders and resulted in the loss of 72% of its historical territory, 58% of its population, and 32% of its ethnic Hungarians. Two-thirds of the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary were ceded to Czechoslovakia, the Kingdom of Romania, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the First Austrian Republic, the Second Polish Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy.

The Hungarian Republic was short-lived, and was temporarily replaced by the communist Hungarian Soviet Republic. Romanian troops ousted Béla Kun and his communist government during the Hungarian-Romanian War of 1919. In March 1920, royal powers were entrusted to a regent, Miklós Horthy, who had been the last commanding admiral of the Austro-Hungarian Navy and had helped organize the counter-revolutionary forces. It was this government that signed the Treaty of Trianon under protest on 4 June 1920 at the Grand Trianon Palace in Versailles, France.

The loss of 72% of its territory had a significant impact on Hungary. The country was severely disrupted, and the First Hungarian Republic was short-lived. The loss of territory also resulted in the loss of 64% of its population and most of its natural resources. The new borders became major economic barriers, and the emerging country was compelled to make considerable sacrifices to transform its economy. A major political unease in the affected regions followed as a result of these economic difficulties, fuelling extremist movements in some cases.

The Republic of Austria was forbidden from uniting with Germany

The idea of a unified Austria and Germany, known as the "Anschluss", first arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire. The idea gained support after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, with the new Republic of German-Austria attempting to form a union with Germany. However, the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Versailles forbade this union, stripping Austria of some of its territories, such as the Sudetenland, and leaving it amid an economic crisis.

Despite the prohibition, support for unification remained strong in both Austria and Germany throughout the interwar period. In the 1920s, the proposal had strong support from many Austrian citizens of the political left and center, as well as prominent Social Democrat leader Otto Bauer. The majority in both countries wanted unification, but this desire was strictly forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles to avoid the creation of a dominant German state.

In the early 1930s, the Austrian government considered a possible customs union with Germany, but regional patriotism ultimately proved stronger than pan-German sentiment. By 1936, Austria's economic situation had deteriorated due to a German boycott, and the country was forced to come to an agreement with Germany. However, this did not satisfy Hitler, and the pro-German Austrian Nazis continued to grow in strength.

In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the "Anschluss". This was achieved through a combination of political pressure, threats, and coercion, with a plebiscite being held in April 1938 that resulted in 99.7% approval for the unification. However, it is estimated that about 70% of Austrians would have voted to preserve Austrian independence if the vote had been secret.

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