Austria's Rump State Status: A Geographical Conundrum

The term rump state is used to refer to states that emerge from the collapse of a larger state or empire. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I, the Republic of German-Austria was created as an initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic German population. This state covered an area of 118,311 km2 with 10.4 million inhabitants and included provinces such as Upper Austria, Lower Austria, German Bohemia, and Styria. However, attempts to create German-Austria were ultimately unsuccessful due to the prohibition of union with Germany in the Treaty of Versailles, and the new state of the First Austrian Republic was established in 1920.

The Republic of German-Austria was an initial rump state for German speakers after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a multinational entity comprising Germans, Hungarians, and nine other major nationalities, all of whom increasingly demanded the right to self-determination. The Germans had historically been the dominant group in the Habsburg monarchy, and their power and influence far outweighed their numbers. Even within Cisleithania, the Germans represented only 37% of the population. However, certain territories, including Upper and Lower Austria, Salzburg, and Carinthia, had a predominantly German population. These territories were considered the core "Austrian" provinces and had a population of 6.5 million.

The Republic of German-Austria was proclaimed on 21 October 1918, when the deputies representing German-speaking areas in the Abgeordnetenhaus, the lower chamber of the Reichsrat, declared themselves to be the new Provisional National Assembly for German-Austria. The three main political groupings representing German-speakers in the lower chamber were the German nationalists, the conservative monarchist Christian Social Party, and the Social Democrats, who favoured a democratic republic. Despite their differing ideologies, all three groups supported the unification of all German-Austrians in a German-Austrian state.

On 12 November 1918, the National Assembly officially declared German-Austria a republic and named Social Democrat Karl Renner as provisional chancellor. They also drafted a provisional constitution, which stated that "German-Austria is a democratic republic" and "German-Austria is an integral part of the German republic". This reflected the deputies' belief that Austria would lose significant territory in any peace settlement and that unification with Germany was the only viable course of action. However, this unification was opposed by the Western Allies and explicitly forbidden by the Treaty of Saint Germain and the Treaty of Versailles.

The Republic of German-Austria was short-lived, lasting only from 1918 to 1919, before being replaced by the First Austrian Republic. During its brief existence, it faced significant challenges, including food shortages, economic difficulties, and social unrest. It also had to contend with the loss of territory to neighbouring countries, as well as the complexities of governing a diverse population with multiple ethnic and linguistic groups.

Austria-Hungary entered the war by declaring war on Serbia on July 28, 1914

On July 28, 1914, exactly one month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, effectively beginning World War I. The assassination was carried out by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist and member of a Serbian-backed secret paramilitary organisation. The act followed years of tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, which escalated after Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908.

Austria-Hungary's declaration of war was the culmination of a series of diplomatic and military escalations among the major powers of Europe, known as the July Crisis. The crisis began on June 28, 1914, with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg. This event sent shockwaves through the Austro-Hungarian elite, and the government of Austria-Hungary sought to inflict a military blow on Serbia, viewing Serbian support for Yugoslav nationalism as a threat to the unity of its multinational empire.

In the days following the assassination, Austria-Hungary, with the support of its powerful ally Germany, presented Serbia with an ultimatum on July 23, 1914. The ultimatum included demands such as the suppression of anti-Austrian propaganda within Serbia and the allowance of an Austrian investigation into the assassination. While Serbia accepted most of the demands, it rejected the final demand, which would have resulted in a significant infringement of its sovereignty. This rejection, coupled with assurances of support from Russia, led Austria-Hungary to break off diplomatic relations and announce the mobilisation of its army against Serbia.

On July 28, 1914, after pressure from Germany for quick action, Austria-Hungary officially declared war on Serbia. This declaration of war was the spark that ignited World War I, as other European powers became embroiled in the conflict. Russia, a major supporter of Serbia, responded by ordering the mobilisation of its armed forces, while Germany advised Vienna to go ahead with its plans for military action. The complex web of alliances and miscalculations of political and military leaders resulted in an outbreak of hostilities among most of the major European states by early August 1914.

The Austrian Empire was annexed, conquered, renamed, dissolved, or colonized

The Austrian Empire was not annexed, conquered, or colonized in the usual sense of those terms. However, it did undergo significant changes over time, and its territories were incorporated into other states after its dissolution.

Annexed, Conquered, or Colonized

The Austrian Empire was not annexed, conquered, or colonized in the usual sense of those terms. However, it did undergo significant changes over time, and its territories were incorporated into other states after its dissolution.

Renamed

The Austrian Empire was not renamed, but it did undergo changes in structure and composition over time.

Dissolved

The Austrian Empire was dissolved in 1867 with the formation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which united the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria as two separate entities. This change was brought about by the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which was adopted after the Austrian defeat in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire itself was dissolved after World War I, with the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (between the victors of World War I and Austria) and the Treaty of Trianon (between the victors and Hungary) formalizing the collapse.

Incorporated into Nazi Germany

While not a direct annexation, the Austrian state was incorporated into Nazi Germany in 1938. This event, known as the "Anschluss," saw the unification of Austria and Germany to form a "Greater Germany." The idea of the Anschluss gained support after World War I, when the Republic of German-Austria attempted to form a union with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, which also stripped Austria of some of its territories.

Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was once the brilliant metropolis of a multi-ethnic state

The war efforts and the subsequent peace treaties led to the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, leaving behind two 'rump states': the Republic of Austria and the Republic of Hungary. Vienna, which had been the vibrant capital of a diverse empire, now found itself as the oversized capital of a much smaller Austria, with a reduced population of 6.4 million. The economic connections that had developed over centuries were suddenly severed, and Vienna struggled to secure essential supplies for its people.

The war had a profound impact on daily life in Vienna. Food shortages were prevalent, with long queues forming outside shops and markets. The city also faced challenges in coal deliveries and experienced disruptions in public transport. The social fabric of the city frayed, with increasing crime rates, especially among youth left unattended due to working mothers. The war also brought about a shift in gender roles, with women taking on traditionally male jobs to support the war economy and their families.

The post-war period saw political upheaval, with various governments rising and falling in quick succession. The Social Democrats gained prominence, and in 1919, they took control of the municipal government in Vienna, marking the beginning of the "Era of Red Vienna". Despite these changes, Vienna continued to grapple with the challenges of its new status as a rump state, navigating food shortages, economic difficulties, and social unrest.

The rump state of Austria was left with a population of 6.4 million after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a multinational constitutional monarchy in Central Europe, consisting of two sovereign states with a single monarch. The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was catalysed by the growth of internal social contradictions, the separation of different parts of the Empire, and the weakening of the state by a widening gap between Hungarian and Austrian interests. The more immediate reasons for the collapse were World War I, the 1918 crop failure, general starvation, and the economic crisis. The war efforts placed a heavy burden on the Empire's economy, which depended on agriculture. The transportation system became overcrowded, and industrial production could not successfully handle the overwhelming need for munitions. The political instability of the multiple ethnic groups within the Empire further ripped apart any hope for national consensus in support of the war.

The rump state of Austria was officially named the Republic of German-Austria. It covered an area of 118,311 km2 (45,680 sq mi) and included the Danubian and Alpine provinces, which had been the core of Cisleithania. The rump state's authority was limited to these provinces, with much of its claimed territory de facto administered by the newly formed Czechoslovakia. The rump state's attempts to unify with Germany were ultimately unsuccessful, especially since union with Germany was forbidden in the Treaty of Versailles. The new state of the First Austrian Republic was created in 1920.

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