Lexi Webster
Austria's navy, or the Austro-Hungarian Navy, was never a high financial or political priority for the Empire. The Austrian Navy saw action in several wars, including the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and the First and Second Wars of Italian Independence. However, following Austria's defeat by Prussia and Italy during the Seven Weeks' War, the Austrian Empire reformed into the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, and the navy became the Austro-Hungarian Navy. During World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Navy was active in the Boxer Rebellion and other conflicts. After the war, with the signing of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon, Austria and Hungary became landlocked, and the Empire's ports became part of Italy and Yugoslavia. The Austro-Hungarian Navy's main ships were turned over to the Allies and scrapped in the 1920s, bringing an end to the navy.
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What You'll Learn
Austria's defeat by Prussia and Italy
The Austrian Empire's defeat by Prussia and Italy during the Seven Weeks' War (also known as the Austro-Prussian War) in 1866 led to significant losses for Austria. The war was fought between the Austrian Empire and its German allies, and Prussia with its German and Italian allies. Prussia deliberately challenged Austria for leadership of the German Confederation, and the conflict resulted in a shift in power among the German states away from Austria and towards Prussia.
Prussia had formed an alliance with Italy, which was seeking to unify and gain control of the territory of Venetia, occupied by Austria at the time. This alliance forced Austria to divert some of its forces to the south to campaign against the Italians. The Austrian army was successful in its initial encounters with Italy, defeating the Italians on land at the Battle of Custoza and at sea at the Battle of Lissa. However, Italy's "Hunters of the Alps" led by Garibaldi defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Bezzecca, conquering part of Trentino and moving towards Trento.
The war ended in a Prussian victory, which resulted in the dissolution of the German Confederation and the exclusion of Austria from German affairs. Prussia annexed several territories, including Schleswig-Holstein, Hanover, Hesse-Kassel, Nassau, and Frankfurt, and formed the North German Confederation. Austria was forced to cede Venetia, which was transferred to Italy, contributing to the process of Italian unification.
As a result of its defeat, the Austrian Empire reformed itself into the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, and the navy became known as the Austro-Hungarian Navy. The Treaty of Schönbrunn, imposed harsh terms on Austria, causing it to lose access to the Adriatic Sea by ceding littoral territories and important ports such as Trieste, which later became part of Italy. These losses, along with Austria becoming landlocked after World War I, contributed to the end of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.
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The Treaty of Schönbrunn
During the Peninsular War and the Spanish resistance against Napoleon, Austria tried to reverse the 1805 Peace of Pressburg by sparking national uprisings in the French-occupied territories of Central Europe, including the Tyrolean Rebellion against Napoleon's Bavarian allies. However, these attempts ultimately failed, and French forces occupied Vienna in May 1809. While the Austrians under Archduke Charles were able to repulse them at the Battle of Aspern on 21-22 May, Napoleon withdrew his forces and later crushed Charles' army at Wagram.
During the negotiations at Schönbrunn, Napoleon narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by 17-year-old Friedrich Staps, who had arrived in Vienna and demanded an audience to present a petition. When refused, Staps was later observed pushing through the crowd towards Napoleon with a concealed knife. Interrogated, he revealed his plans to kill the emperor and, when asked if he would be grateful for a pardon, replied, "I would kill you none the less." Napoleon left Vienna on 16 October, and Staps was shot outside the palace the next day.
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The Austro-Hungarian Empire's collapse
The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, was a result of several interconnected factors. The Empire, formed in 1867, was a dual monarchy comprising Austria and Hungary, ruled by a single monarch but with separate parliaments and prime ministers.
The origins of its collapse can be traced back to the Revolutions of 1848, which swept across Europe, including the Austrian Empire. These revolutions were driven by a growing desire for democratic freedoms and dissatisfaction with the feudal system of serfdom. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, negotiated by Friedrich Ferdinand, Graf (Count) von Beust, was an attempt to address these tensions by granting Hungary more autonomy while maintaining a link to the Austrian Empire.
However, the balance of this complex dual-monarchy was fragile, and it was upended in 1914 with the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist. This event precipitated World War I, during which the Empire faced defeat and collapse. The Austro-Hungarian Navy, which had been one of the largest in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas, suffered losses and was ultimately disbanded, with its ships turned over to the Allies after the war.
In September 1918, the Austro-Hungarian government proposed a general peace conference, but this was rejected by the United States, which had already committed to supporting the Czechoslovaks and Yugoslavs. The last Habsburg emperor, Charles I, granted autonomy to the peoples of the Austrian Empire in October 1916, but this concession was ignored, and the monarchy collapsed in 1918. With the signing of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon, Austria and Hungary became landlocked, ceding important ports and coastal territories to Italy and Yugoslavia.
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Vienna built too many battleships
The Austrian Navy, under the banner of the Holy Roman Empire, became the Austro-Hungarian Navy after Austria's defeat by Prussia and Italy during the Seven Weeks' War. The Austrian Empire then reformed into the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The navy expanded alongside Austro-Hungarian industrialization and, by 1914, had a peacetime strength of 20,000 personnel. It was one of the largest navies in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas.
The Austro-Hungarian Navy saw action in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, the Second Egyptian-Ottoman War, and the First and Second Wars of Italian Independence, among others. It was an innovative force that achieved notable firsts, such as the invention of the locomotive torpedo and the first instance of naval gunfire directed by aircraft.
However, by the end of World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was facing collapse and defeat. The Empire decided to transfer most of its navy to the newly declared State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs, effectively ending the Austro-Hungarian Navy. With the signing of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon, Austria and Hungary became landlocked, and the Empire's most important ports became part of Italy and Yugoslavia.
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Austria is now landlocked
Austria is now a landlocked country and does not have a navy. The Austrian Empire, which became the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867 after the Seven Weeks' War, had a large and powerful navy. The Imperial and Royal Kriegsmarine was the world's seventh-largest fleet, with a tradition dating back more than two centuries. It saw action in several wars, including the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, and the First and Second Wars of Italian Independence.
The Austro-Hungarian Navy, as it became known, continued to expand and innovate, achieving notable firsts such as the invention of the locomotive torpedo and the first use of naval gunfire directed by aircraft. During World War I, the navy defended its coastlines against the Entente and associated powers of France, Great Britain, Italy, and the United States. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the navy sank more enemy warships than it lost.
However, the empire faced collapse and defeat towards the end of the war, and in October 1918, it transferred most of its navy to the newly declared State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. With the signing of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon, Austria and Hungary became landlocked, and the empire's important ports, such as Trieste, Pola, Fiume, and Ragusa, became part of Italy and Yugoslavia.
The main ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy were turned over to the Allies, who scrapped most of them in the 1920s during the era of naval disarmament. Thus, the Austro-Hungarian Navy disappeared along with the empire it served, leaving Austria without a coastline or a navy.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria lost its Navy when it became a landlocked country after signing the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon.
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the world's seventh-largest fleet, with a history dating back more than two centuries. It was an innovative force that achieved notable firsts, such as the invention of the locomotive torpedo and the first instance of naval gunfire directed by aircraft.
The Austro-Hungarian Navy disappeared with the empire it served. The empire decided to transfer most of its navy to the newly declared State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs. The main ships were turned over to the Allies, who scrapped most of them in the 1920s during the era of naval disarmament.
Yes, the Austrian Navy saw action in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, the Second Egyptian-Ottoman War, and the First and Second Wars of Italian Independence, among others. In 1866, it defeated a larger Italian fleet at the Battle of Lissa, the biggest naval battle fought worldwide between Trafalgar in 1805 and Tsushima in 1905.
