Austria-Hungary's Territorial Ambitions: Eastern Goals And Dreams

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as the Dual Monarchy, was a central European empire that included the territories of Austria and Hungary, as well as Bohemia, Moravia, Bukovina, Transylvania, Carniola, Küstenland, Dalmatia, Croatia, Fiume, and Galicia. The Compromise of 1867 created a king of Hungary in addition to the Austrian emperor, granting Hungary its own parliament and considerable autonomy. The empire was weakened by World War I, crop failure, starvation, economic crisis, and a widening gap between Hungarian and Austrian interests, ultimately leading to its collapse and the loss of its territories.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire

In 1918, the Hungarian Parliament voted to terminate the union with Austria, officially dissolving the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and state. The collapse of the empire was formalised by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye with Austria and the Treaty of Trianon with Hungary, which established new borders and reduced both countries to small, landlocked states. The remaining territories inhabited by divided peoples fell into the composition of existing or newly formed states.

Overall, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was a unique experiment in multi-national governance, offering its people economic benefits, legally protected equality, and security. However, the tensions between its diverse populations, coupled with the challenges of World War I, ultimately led to its dissolution and the formation of new nation-states.

The Compromise of 1867

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, or Monarchy, included territories such as Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia, Bukovina, Transylvania, Carniola, Küstenland, Dalmatia, Croatia, Fiume, and Galicia. The empire played a passive diplomatic role in World War I, dominated by Germany, with the primary goal of punishing Serbia and preventing the ethnic breakup of the empire, which ultimately failed.

The collapse of the empire

The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was a result of multiple factors, including military losses, economic deterioration, and the rise of ethnic nationalism. The Empire, a dual monarchy consisting of two sovereign states with a single monarch, was formed in 1867 and included territories such as Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Transylvania, and Croatia.

The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist in 1914 was a significant catalyst for World War I and subsequently played a role in the collapse of the Empire. The Empire suffered heavy losses during the war, particularly in the Brusilov Offensive of 1916, where they faced numerical inferiority against the Russians. The Austro-Hungarian Army took losses of about 1 million men and never recovered. The operational capability of the army was further impacted by supply shortages, low morale, and the challenge of managing multiple ethnicities with different languages and customs.

On the home front, the economic situation deteriorated, with food and heating fuel becoming increasingly scarce. The diverse nationalities within the Empire began to seek ways to establish their own nation-states, and inflation soared, wiping out the cash savings of the middle class. The war consumed about 20% of the gross domestic product, and the death and casualty rates were high compared to other major countries involved in the war.

As the war progressed, ethnic unity declined, and the Allies encouraged breakaway demands from minorities, further contributing to the Empire's disintegration. The Empire's defeat in the war, along with revolutions by the Czechs, Yugoslavs, and Hungarians, ultimately led to the collapse of the monarchy in 1918. The armistice between the Allies and Austria-Hungary was signed on November 3, 1918, marking the end of the Empire's rule.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye

The treaty consisted of 381 articles divided into 14 parts, written in French, English, and Italian. The first part of the treaty started with the covenant establishing the League of Nations, which is why the United States did not sign it. The second part covered the frontiers of Austria, with clauses covering Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Italy, Klagenfurt, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, Hungary, the Czecho-Slovak State, and Germany. These clauses established fixed boundaries, enforced by a boundary commission. Austrian territory was reduced to the borders of Austria alone, leaving it at around 40% of its previous size.

Part three dealt with political clauses for Europe, including questions of nationality and land ownership beyond the former Austro-Hungarian frontier. Austria was to renounce further territory in favour of Italy, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, the Czechoslovak State, and Romania. Article 88 of the treaty required Austria to refrain from compromising its independence, meaning that Austria could not enter into political or economic union with the Weimar Republic without the agreement of the council of the League of Nations. As a result, Austria's self-chosen name of German-Austria had to be changed to Austria.

The treaty also included military, naval, and air clauses, limiting the Austrian Army to 30,000 troops for the maintenance of order and border control. The manufacture of arms and munitions was limited to one state-owned factory, and all imports and exports were banned. All warships and submarines were to be surrendered, and air forces were to be abolished.

The Kingdom of Hungary

During World War I, the diverse nationalities within the Kingdom of Hungary began to seek ways to establish their own nation-states. The Hungarian Parliament voted to terminate the union with Austria on 17 October 1918, officially dissolving the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The subsequent Treaty of Trianon with Hungary reduced the kingdom to a small, landlocked state, with many of its territories being ceded to other countries or becoming part of newly formed independent states.

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