Damon Mcknight
World War I, also known as the Great War, began in 1914 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and lasted over four years, ending in 1918. The war involved a complex network of alliances and rivalries between European powers and resulted in the collapse of empires, including Austria-Hungary. The end of the war for Austria-Hungary came with the armistice signed on November 3, 1918, which took effect on November 4, marking the conclusion of the conflict for Austria.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year WWI ended for Austria | 1918 |
| Year the First Austrian Republic was created | 1919 |
| Year the First Austrian Republic ended | 1934 |
| Year Austria was annexed to Germany | 1938 |
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What You'll Learn
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne and an advocate of increased federalism. He was widely believed to favor trialism, under which the Slavic lands within the Austro-Hungarian empire would be reorganized into a third crown. This proposed reorganization was seen as a threat by Serbian nationalists, who wanted to create a Greater Serbia through "terrorist action."
In May 1911, a secret society called the Black Hand was established by key members of the Narodna Odbrana, including Dimitrijević and Tankosić. The Black Hand was dedicated to the creation of a Greater Serbia and was responsible for various acts of anti-Austrian propaganda, sabotage, espionage, and political murders abroad. When it was learned that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was scheduled to visit Sarajevo in June 1914, the Black Hand decided to assassinate him because of his perceived threat to Serbian independence. They recruited, trained, and equipped three young Bosnians: Gavrilo Princip, Nedeljko Čabrinović, and Trifko Grabež, who later added additional conspirators.
On the day of the assassination, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were riding in an open carriage through the streets of Sarajevo. They were shot at close range by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student and member of a revolutionary group called Young Bosnia. Princip was part of a group of six Bosnian assassins, five of whom were Bosnian Serbs and members of Young Bosnia. The political objective of the assassination was to free Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austria-Hungarian rule and establish a common South Slav ("Yugoslav") state.
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, on 28 June 1914, set off a chain of events that led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a Bosnian Serb nationalist. The assassination sparked a crisis in which Europe's leaders made a series of political, diplomatic, and military decisions that escalated tensions and ultimately resulted in the outbreak of World War I.
Austria-Hungary, encouraged by its ally Germany, sought to punish Serbia and quell Serbian nationalism, which it viewed as a threat. On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, setting off a rapid chain of events that drew in supporters and allies on both sides. Serbia's ally, Russia, came to its defence, bringing France into the conflict as well. This led to Germany declaring war on Russia and France in early August, and soon after, violating Belgian neutrality, which prompted Britain and its empire to join the war.
The conflict in Southeast Europe quickly escalated into a global war, with over 21 countries involved within a month. The complex web of alliances, growing nationalism, increased militarism, and imperial rivalry contributed to the outbreak of World War I. The decisions for war reflected the fears, anxieties, and ambitions of the European powers, who were willing to go to war to defend or extend their national interests.
The war had far-reaching consequences, ultimately shaping the course of the 20th century. It broke the empires of Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary, forced the USA onto the world stage, and laid the seeds for future conflicts. The end of World War I in 1918 marked a significant turning point for Austria, reducing it to mostly German-speaking areas and leading to the creation of the First Austrian Republic.
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The Treaty of Versailles
World War I ended for Austria in 1918, when the empire collapsed and Austria was reduced to its current frontiers. The Treaty of Versailles, the primary treaty of World War I, was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which had led to the war. The treaty was signed in the Palace of Versailles and went into effect on 10 January 1920.
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The Austrian Empire collapses
The Austrian Empire's collapse came at the end of World War I in 1918. The empire's demise left Austria reduced to its current frontiers, mostly German-speaking areas. The country adopted the name the Republic of German-Austria. However, union with Germany and the chosen country name were forbidden by the Allies at the Treaty of Versailles. This led to the creation of the First Austrian Republic in 1919.
The First Austrian Republic, officially the Republic of Austria, was a small, landlocked country of about 6.5 million people. Vienna, with its population of almost 2 million, was left as an imperial capital without an empire to feed it. Only 17.8% of Austria's land was arable, and the vast majority of the arable land in the former Austrian half of the empire was now part of Czechoslovakia or Yugoslavia. The new constitution created a bicameral legislature with the upper house—the Federal Council—formed by representatives from federal states, and the lower house—the National Council—to which deputies were elected in universal elections. The Federal President was elected for a four-year term in a full session of both houses, while the Chancellor was elected by the National Council.
The republican period was marked by violent strife between those with left-wing and right-wing views. This led to the July Revolt of 1927 and the Austrian Civil War of 1934. In an attempt to deal with post-war inflation, Chancellor Ignaz Seipel introduced austerity policies and took out foreign loans. In October 1922, Britain, France, Italy and Czechoslovakia provided a loan of 650 million gold Kronen after Seipel promised not to attempt Anschluss with Germany for the next 20 years and allowed the League of Nations to control Austria's economy.
The idea of grouping all Germans into one nation-state had been the subject of debate in the 19th century from the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 until the break-up of the German Confederation in 1866. Austria had wanted a greater Germany solution, whereby the German states would unite under the leadership of the Austrian House of Habsburg. However, this solution would have included non-German regions of Austria, and Prussia would have had to accept a secondary role. This controversy, called dualism, dominated Prusso-Austrian diplomacy and the politics of the German states in the mid-19th century. In 1866, the Prussians defeated the Austrians in the Austro-Prussian War, excluding the Austrian Empire and German Austrians from Germany.
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The creation of the First Austrian Republic
World War I ended in 1918, and with it came the collapse of the Austrian-Hungarian empire. This led to the creation of the First Austrian Republic in 1919, which lasted until 1933.
On 28 June 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife started the First World War. In August 1914, the war was in full swing, with Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia, and Germany declaring war on Russia and France. The First World War became a total war, with nations pitted against each other, fighting on land, sea, and air, and modern weaponry causing mass casualties. The war ultimately broke the empires of Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary.
On 21 October 1918, the 210 German members of the Reichsrat of Austria formed the National Assembly for German-Austria, and on 30 October, they proclaimed it an independent state. After the war, Austria was reduced to the main, mostly German-speaking areas of the empire, and it adopted the name the Republic of German-Austria. However, union with Germany and the chosen country name were forbidden by the Allies at the Treaty of Versailles. This led to the creation of the First Austrian Republic, officially the Republic of Austria, in September 1919. The new state had reduced borders, ceding German-populated regions to Czechoslovakia, Italy, and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (also known as Yugoslavia). The Treaty of Saint Germain angered the German population in Austria, who claimed that it violated the right to "self-determination" of all nations.
The First Austrian Republic's constitution was enacted on 1 October 1920 and amended on 7 December 1929. The government was bicameral, with a Federal Council and a National Council. The Federal President was elected for a four-year term, and the Chancellor was elected by the National Council. The First Republic was increasingly marked by violent strife between those with left-wing and right-wing views, leading to the July Revolt of 1927 and the Austrian Civil War of 1934. On 1 May 1934, Dollfuss created a one-party state, the authoritarian "Federal State of Austria", led by the Fatherland Front.
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Frequently asked questions
World War I started in the summer of 1914, shortly after the assassination of Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Austria-Hungary, with German encouragement, declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. This led to a chain reaction of events, with Russia's support of Serbia bringing France into the conflict, and Germany declaring war on Russia and France soon after.
World War I ended for Austria on 3 November 1918, when the armistice between the Allies and Austria-Hungary was signed. It came into effect on 4 November.
After the war, Austria was reduced to the main, mostly German-speaking areas of the empire and adopted the name the Republic of German-Austria. However, union with Germany and the chosen country name were forbidden by the Allies at the Treaty of Versailles. This led to the creation of the First Austrian Republic in 1919.
