The Common History Of Austria And Hungary

Austria-Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was a constitutional monarchy in Central Europe that existed between 1867 and 1918. It was formed through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which gave Hungary full internal autonomy and its own parliament, while Austria retained control over defence, foreign policy and similar. The two countries shared a monarch, who was titled both Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, and had unified diplomatic and defence policies. They also shared a currency and a border, which can still be crossed anywhere without control due to the Schengen Agreement.

A shared monarch, Emperor Franz Joseph, who was also King of Hungary

Emperor Franz Joseph I was the shared monarch of Austria-Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy, or the Habsburg Monarchy. He was both Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, ruling from 2 December 1848 until his death in 1916.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe that existed between 1867 and 1918. It was formed in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War and wars of independence by Hungary in opposition to Habsburg rule. The empire was a military and diplomatic alliance consisting of two sovereign states, Austria and Hungary, with a single monarch.

Franz Joseph concluded the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which granted greater autonomy to Hungary and created the dual monarchy. The agreement was a compromise between the emperor and Hungary, not between Hungary and the rest of the empire. Hungary received full internal autonomy and, in return, agreed that the empire should remain a single great state in terms of war and foreign affairs. Franz Joseph surrendered his domestic prerogatives in Hungary, including his protection of the non-Magyar peoples, in exchange for the maintenance of dynastic prestige abroad.

The two halves of the empire were united by their common army and foreign policy, with the monarch personifying the unity of the empire. The citizens of each half were treated as foreigners in the other half, and each had its own constitution, government, and parliament. The Austrian half of the empire, officially known as Cisleithania, consisted of seventeen historical crown lands and was a multinational state that granted numerous rights to the individual nationalities. The Hungarian half, officially known as Transleithania, was dominated by the Kingdom of Hungary, which included the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia, and the free city of Rijeka/Fiume. While the Magyars were the dominant nation in Hungary, they were only a small majority compared to the other language groups, and the non-Magyar ethnic groups had the status of minorities.

Emperor Franz Joseph was crowned King of Hungary on 8 June 1867 and, on 28 July, he promulgated the laws that officially turned the Habsburg domains into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.

A shared military and foreign policy

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as the Dual Monarchy, was a constitutional monarchy in Central Europe that existed between 1867 and 1918. It was formed through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which gave Hungary full internal autonomy and its own parliament, while the Austrian Empire retained control over defence and foreign policy. The two countries conducted unified diplomatic and defence policies, with "common" ministries of foreign affairs and defence maintained under the direct authority of the shared monarch.

The "common monarchy" consisted of the monarch and his court, the minister for foreign affairs, and the minister of war. There was no common prime minister, and the common affairs were considered at the delegations composed of representatives from the two parliaments. The citizens of each half were treated as foreigners in the other half. The two partner states had different constitutions, governments, and parliaments, and their authorities were designated by different names: 'k.-k.' for the Austrian authorities, and 'königlich-ungarisch' for the Hungarian authorities.

The shared military and foreign policy of Austria-Hungary were crucial in maintaining the unity of the empire. The strongest linking factor was the monarch, who personified the unity of the empire. The two halves of the empire were united by their common army, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was one of the Central Powers in World War I. The declaration of war on the Kingdom of Serbia on 28 July 1914 marked the beginning of World War I, which ultimately led to the dissolution of the empire.

A shared currency

Austria-Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was a constitutional monarchy that existed from 1867 to 1918. It was formed through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which gave Hungary full internal autonomy and its own parliament, while Austria retained control over defence, foreign policy, and similar. The two halves of the empire, the Kingdom of Hungary and the Austrian Empire, were united under a single monarch, who was titled both Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary.

While the two halves of the empire had their own constitutions, governments, and parliaments, they shared a common currency. The exact name of this currency is unclear, but it was likely called the Austro-Hungarian krone or forint. This currency was used across the empire, facilitating trade and economic activity between the two halves. It also symbolised the unity and interdependence of Austria and Hungary, despite their political and administrative differences.

The shared currency of Austria-Hungary played a crucial role in the economic development of the empire. It allowed for the integration of economic policies and the free flow of goods and services between the two halves. The empire built up the fourth-largest machine-building industry in the world and became the world's third-largest manufacturer and exporter of electric appliances and power generation equipment. The shared currency also contributed to the development of a modern banking system, with the establishment of central banks in both Vienna and Budapest.

However, the shared currency also presented some challenges and tensions between Austria and Hungary. There were frequent disputes over shared external tariff arrangements and financial contributions to the common treasury. These disputes had to be renegotiated periodically, often leading to political turmoil and tensions between the two halves of the empire.

Despite these challenges, the shared currency of Austria-Hungary remained in place throughout the existence of the empire. It was only after the dissolution of the empire in 1918 that the two countries established their own separate currencies, reflecting their newfound independence and sovereignty.

A shared economy

Austria-Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was a constitutional monarchy that existed from 1867 to 1918. It was a multi-national state and one of Europe's major powers, geographically the second-largest country in Europe and the third most populous. It was formed through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which gave Hungary full internal autonomy, while the Empire retained control over defence, foreign policy and similar. The two countries conducted unified diplomatic and defence policies, with "common" ministries of foreign affairs, defence and finance under the direct authority of the monarch.

The two halves of the empire, Austria and Hungary, were united by their common army and foreign policy. The citizens of each half were treated as foreigners in the other half. The Austrian half of the empire, officially known as Cisleithania, was a multinational state that consisted of seventeen historical crown lands. The Hungarian half, Transleithania, was dominated by the Kingdom of Hungary, which included the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia, and the free city of Rijeka/Fiume.

The two halves of the empire had different voting systems. In the Kingdom of Hungary, voting rights were restricted to the upper classes, while in Austria, universal, equal and direct voting for all men was established in 1907. The two economies were also distinct, with the Austrian economy centred on Vienna and the Hungarian economy centred on Budapest. However, the two economies were closely linked, with a customs union and a sharing of accounts, which was renegotiated every ten years.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire had the fourth-largest machine-building industry in the world and was the world's third-largest manufacturer and exporter of electric appliances and power generation equipment. It also had the second-largest railway network in Europe. The empire treated Bosnia and Herzegovina as a colony, occupying and then annexing it in 1908, and it had a concession in Tianjin, China. The empire's economy was heavily rural, with a small industrial base, and it depended on agriculture. However, the Austrian lands, the Alpine region and the Bohemian lands were more industrialised, and rapid economic growth spread to the central Hungarian plain and the Carpathian lands in the late 19th century.

The two halves of the empire had different currencies. The Austrian krone was used in Cisleithania, while the Hungarian krone was used in Transleithania.

A shared railway system

The Austro-Hungarian Empire had the fourth-largest machine-building industry in the world and the second-largest railway network in Europe. By 1914, the combined length of the railway tracks of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary reached 43,280 kilometres (26,890 miles).

The first Hungarian steam locomotive railway line was opened in 1846 between Pest and Vac. The first section of a new steam locomotive railway from the Austrian capital Vienna to Krakow in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria opened in 1837. Designed by Franz Xaver Riepl, it was financed by the banker Salomon Mayer von Rothschild. The line was the second solely steam-powered railway on the continent.

The first telegraph connection between Vienna and Pest–Buda (later Budapest) was constructed in 1850. The first telephone exchange was opened in Zagreb in 1881, the second in Budapest, and the third in Vienna. The Budapest Metro Line 1, originally the "Franz Joseph Underground Electric Railway Company", is the second oldest underground railway in the world. It was built from 1894 to 1896 and opened on 2 May 1896.

The two halves of the empire were united by their common army and foreign policy. The strongest linking factor was the monarch, who personified the unity of the empire.

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