Lexi Webster
The term rump state refers to a remnant of a once-larger state that has been reduced due to various factors such as secession, annexation, or occupation. In the context of Austria, the rump state refers to the period after World War I when the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, leading to the creation of the Republic of German-Austria in 1918. This republic, covering an area of 118,311 km2 with 10.4 million inhabitants, was an initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic German population within the former empire. However, attempts to unite with Germany were forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles, and the First Austrian Republic was established in 1920. The rump state of Austria faced various challenges, including food shortages, economic difficulties, and social unrest, as it navigated its new status as a smaller, landlocked country.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of formation | 1918 |
| Reason for formation | Collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire |
| Type of state | Rump state |
| Population | 6.4 million |
| Area | 118,311 km2 |
| Inhabitants | 10.4 million |
| Provinces | Upper Austria, Lower Austria, German Bohemia, and Styria |
| Capital | Vienna |
| Language | German |
| Government | Republic |
| Currency | Kronen |
| Successor | First Austrian Republic |
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What You'll Learn
- The Republic of German-Austria was created in 1918 as the rump state for German-speaking populations
- The rump state was an attempt to unify German-Austrians into a single state
- The rump state covered 118,311 sq km with 10.4 million inhabitants
- The unification of Austria and Germany to form a Greater Germany was known as the Anschluss
- The rump state struggled with food shortages, economic difficulties, and social unrest
The Republic of German-Austria was created in 1918 as the rump state for German-speaking populations
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 Empire was catalysed by the growth of internal social contradictions, the separation of different parts of the Empire, and the divergence of Hungarian and Austrian interests. The more immediate reasons for the collapse were World War I, crop failure, starvation, and an economic crisis. The last Habsburg Emperor, Karl I, gave up his powers on 11 November 1918, and the Republic of German-Austria was declared a republic on 12 November 1918.
The Republic of German-Austria was an unrecognised state, with plans for eventual unification with Germany. However, these attempts 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. In practice, the authority of the Republic of German-Austria was limited to the Danubian and Alpine provinces which had been the core of Cisleithania. Much of its claimed territory was de facto administered by the newly formed Czechoslovakia.
The German-Austrians' desire for unification with Germany was driven by the belief that Austria was no longer economically and politically viable as a separate state. Vienna, the former imperial capital, struggled to secure essential supplies for its reduced population of 6.4 million. The new state was difficult to control, as many of the former empire's important economic regions had been lost with the formation of new nation-states. Additionally, Austria faced trade blockades and tariffs imposed by Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Italy.
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The rump state was an attempt to unify German-Austrians into a single state
The rump state of Austria, also known as the Republic of German-Austria, was an attempt to unify German-Austrians into a single state. This occurred after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I, when the Republic of German-Austria was created as an initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic German population. The rump 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.
The Social Democrats were the first to call for all German-Austrians to be united in a German-Austrian state, recognising the right of all nationalities of the empire to self-determination. The Christian Social Party also accepted this position, despite having some reservations due to their religious and dynastic convictions. In October 1918, all 208 deputies, calling themselves "the Germans of the Alps and Sudetens", unanimously voted that they now constituted the Provisional National Assembly for German-Austria. They declared that the German people in Austria would determine their own future political organisation and form an independent German-Austrian state.
However, attempts to create German-Austria as a unified state were ultimately unsuccessful due to the prohibition of union with Germany in the Treaty of Versailles, as well as the Treaty of Saint Germain, which stripped Austria of some of its territories. This led to the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1920, with a new constitution enacted in 1920 and amended in 1929. The First Austrian Republic, also known as the Republic of Austria, was a small, landlocked country of about 6.5 million people, excluding 4 million Austrian Germans who were placed under Czechoslovak, Italian, and Yugoslav rule.
The failure to unify German-Austrians into a single state had significant economic and political consequences for Austria. With the loss of over 70% of the Cisleithanian territory of the prewar empire, Austria struggled with economic viability and political influence as a separate state without union with Germany. The new state faced challenges such as food shortages, economic difficulties, and social unrest, including violent strife between those with left-wing and right-wing views.
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The rump state covered 118,311 sq km with 10.4 million inhabitants
The rump state of Austria, officially known as the Republic of German-Austria, was created in 1918 as the initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic German population within the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. This state covered an area of 118,311 sq km and had a population of 10.4 million people. It included provinces such as Upper Austria, Lower Austria, German Bohemia, and Styria.
The creation of the Republic of German-Austria was a result of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I. The empire was a multinational entity comprising Germans, Hungarians, and several other nationalities, all of whom increasingly demanded self-determination. The Germans had historically been the dominant group, and their power and influence far outweighed their numbers. However, with the collapse of the empire, the German-speaking areas found themselves separated from the rest of Austria, leading to the formation of the Republic of German-Austria.
The Republic of German-Austria faced challenges from the start due to the intermixing of German and Czech populations within its territories. There was strong German and Czech nationalism, and the two groups were unable to come together to create a new country that would have ensured neither group was in the minority. This, along with the prohibition of union with Germany stipulated in the Treaty of Versailles, contributed to the ultimate failure of the Republic of German-Austria.
The Republic of German-Austria was short-lived, and in 1920, it was replaced by the First Austrian Republic. The new state was established with a reduced population of approximately 6.4 million people, as the former rump state struggled with food shortages, economic difficulties, and social unrest. The capital, Vienna, which had been the vibrant capital of a diverse empire, now found itself as the oversized capital of a much smaller Austria, struggling to secure essential supplies for its people.
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The unification of Austria and Germany to form a Greater Germany was known as the Anschluss
The unification of Austria and Germany to form a "Greater Germany" was known as the Anschluss. This event occurred on March 12, 1938, when the Federal State of Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany. The term "Anschluss" is a German word that means "connection" or "joining". The idea of the Anschluss first arose after the 1871 unification of Germany, which excluded Austria and the German Austrians from the Prussian-dominated German Empire.
The dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, following World War I, left behind two rump states: the Republic of Austria and the Republic of Hungary. The Republic of German-Austria was created as an initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic German population within the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Attempts to unite German-Austria with Germany were forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain, which also stripped Austria of some of its territories.
After Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany in 1933, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis and their concept of "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm"), which aimed to incorporate as many Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans outside Germany) as possible into a "Greater Germany". Nazi Germany's agents cultivated pro-unification sentiments in Austria, and the Austrian Legion (Österreichische Legion), a paramilitary unit of Austrian Nazis who had fled to Germany, posed a threatening military presence across the Austro-German border. On July 25, 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted to overthrow the Austrian government, resulting in the assassination of Chancellor Dollfuss.
In March 1938, German troops entered Austria under the pretext of restoring public order, and the Austrian government, realising its military disadvantage and the support for unification among the population, capitulated. Hitler's invasion was met with little resistance from foreign powers, and he was greeted by cheering crowds in Linz and Vienna. On March 13, 1938, Seyss-Inquart, the Nazi governor of the occupied Netherlands, announced the abrogation of Article 88 of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which prohibited the unification of Austria and Germany, and approved the replacement of the Austrian states with Reichsgaue. This marked the formal incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany, and the beginning of its occupation by a totalitarian regime.
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The rump state struggled with food shortages, economic difficulties, and social unrest
The rump state of Austria, officially known as the Republic of German-Austria, was formed in 1918 following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after World War I. This new state encompassed areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic German population, including provinces such as Upper Austria, Lower Austria, German Bohemia, and Styria. However, it struggled with significant challenges, particularly food shortages, economic difficulties, and social unrest.
The Republic of German-Austria faced food shortages almost immediately due to the 1918 crop failure and the disruption of transportation networks. The scarcity of food was made worse by the shortage of male labor, as most men were involved in the war efforts, and the influx of refugees into cities, making food distribution increasingly challenging. This led to instances of bread riots and malnutrition among the populace.
The economic difficulties faced by the rump state were profound, as the war efforts and subsequent peace treaties severed the economic connections that had taken centuries to establish. The Republic of German-Austria struggled to secure essential supplies for its citizens, and inflation further exacerbated the economic woes, causing retail prices to soar. The printing of more paper money by the government contributed to this issue. Additionally, industries in the rump state faced challenges due to the shortage of skilled labor and worsening financial opportunities.
Social unrest was a significant consequence of the food shortages and economic difficulties. The population grappled with the challenges of their new status, and the growing inequality between the social classes fueled discontent. The Social Democrats gained prominence during this period, taking control of the municipal government in Vienna in 1919, marking the beginning of the "Era of Red Vienna". However, despite their efforts, Vienna continued to face social unrest as the gap between the rich and the poor widened.
The struggles of the rump state of Austria were further compounded by the prohibition of union with Germany, as stipulated in the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint Germain. This prohibition hindered the Republic of German-Austria's attempts to unify with Germany and ultimately led to the establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1920, marking the end of the initial rump state.
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Frequently asked questions
A rump state is the remnant of a once much larger state that was reduced in the wake of secession, annexation, occupation, decolonization, a successful coup d'état, or revolution on part of its former territory.
The rump state of Austria was the Republic of German-Austria, which was created in 1918 after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I. It was a rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking and ethnic German population.
The Republic of German-Austria was an unrecognised state that covered an area of 118,311 km2 with 10.4 million inhabitants. Its authority was limited to the Danubian and Alpine provinces, which had been the core of Cisleithania. Attempts to unify with Germany were forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles, and the new state of the First Austrian Republic was established in 1920.
