Lexi Webster
The question of why Austria cannot form Germany is a complex one, with historical, cultural, and political factors at play. One perspective is that Austria's expansion eastward into Hungary, Bohemia, and Slavic nations led to a diverse empire that was not exclusively German. Additionally, the rise of Prussia as a rival power within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) challenged Austria's dominance and influence over German states. The collapse of the HRE in 1806 due to Napoleon's invasion further diminished Austria's role in German politics. While some argue that Austria should have the option to integrate with Germany, others emphasize the development of a distinct Austrian national identity, with only 6% of Austrians identifying as Germans in a 1987 survey. The desire to preserve their Catholic religious identity and unique historical heritage has also played a role in Austria's separate path from Germany.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Political factors | Austria and Germany fought for dominance over their neighbouring German states in the 18th century. Prussia became Austria's main rival. |
| Historical factors | Austria expanded eastward into Hungary, Bohemia, and Slavic nations, diluting its German identity. |
| Religious factors | Austria's Catholic religious identity differs from Germany's Protestant majority. |
| Cultural factors | Austrians developed a separate national identity from Germany, with only 6% identifying as Germans in a 1987 survey. |
| Geographical factors | Austria's location in and behind the Alps hindered its infrastructure and connection to the rest of Germany. |
| Military factors | Austria and Germany had different approaches to gaining strength, with Prussia focusing on conquest, unlike Austria. |
| Economic factors | Germany sought economic domination in Central Europe through a proposed Central European Economic Union, which Austria was a part of. |
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What You'll Learn
Austria's expansion into non-German territories
In the 19th century, Austria expanded eastward into Hungary, Bohemia, and Slavic nations. This "non-Germaness" of their empire became a significant aspect of the region's history during this period. Additionally, the influence of Austria in German politics began to wane in the second half of the 19th century, partly due to religious differences, as about 50% of the Austrian population had converted to Lutheranism by 1545, while the Habsburgs promoted Catholicism.
Earlier in Austria's history, the territory was influenced by various migrating peoples, including the Germanic Langobards, who moved southwards and occupied the Rugian territory in 508. The Lombards, another Germanic group, crossed the Danube into Roman Pannonia in western Austria in the 540s, coming into conflict with the Gepids. The Slavs also established their own territories in the region, with the Carantanians (Alpine Slavs) migrating westward into the Eastern Alps and mixing with the Celto-Romanic population to form the first independent Slavic state in Europe, known as Carantania (later Carinthia).
In more recent history, the idea of unifying Austria and Germany has been a point of political contention. After World War I, the Treaty of Saint-Germain and the Treaty of Versailles not only forbade the unification of the two countries but also stripped Austria of some of its territories, such as the Sudetenland. Despite this, the notion of unification, known as the "Anschluss," gained popularity in the 1920s and eventually culminated in Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938, marking the regime's first act of territorial expansion. This annexation violated the aforementioned treaties and demonstrated Nazi Germany's disregard for the post-World War I European order.
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Austria's separate national identity
Austria has developed a separate national identity from Germany, despite the countries' close cooperation in economic and cultural fields during the Cold War. A 1987 survey revealed that only 6% of Austrians identified themselves as Germans. Austrians' Catholic religious identity and their different historical heritage have contributed to this distinct identity. Austria has a predominantly Catholic population, whereas Germany has a Protestant majority. Additionally, Austria has a history of Celtic, Slavic, Avar, Rhaethian, and Roman influence before the colonization of the Germanic Baiuvarii (ancient German Bavarians).
Austria's expansion eastward into Hungary, Bohemia, and Slavic nations also contributed to its non-German character. This aspect of 19th-century history distinguishes Austria from a predominantly German state. Austria's focus on strengthening its power as an emperor, rather than through conquest like Prussia, further sets it apart from a purely German identity. The rise of Prussia as a rival power to Austria within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) also played a role in shaping Austria's separate identity. The two nations fought over dominance in the German states, particularly in the province of Silesia, which is now part of southwestern Poland.
The collapse of the HRE in 1806 due to Napoleon's invasion marked a turning point in Austrian influence in German politics. Austria began to be pushed out, and its influence waned in the second half of the 19th century. The formation of the German Empire by Prussia in the 1800s further solidified a separate Austrian identity. The idea of Germany as a state, in a way, centered on it not being an HRE, and Prussia's formation of the German Empire embodied this concept.
The First World War and its aftermath also contributed to Austria's separate national identity. Austria-Hungary's ambitions in the Balkans and its role in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand led to the First World War. After losing the war, the Habsburgs of Austria-Hungary were overthrown, and both Austria and Germany became republics. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) and the Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye (1919) heavily punished Austria, which lost over 60% of its pre-war territory. Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in 1918, seeking union with Germany, but this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
During the interwar period, Austria and Germany remained separate entities. In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria in the Anschluss. However, under Allied control in 1945, Austria claimed independence and separated from Germany. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955, which allowed Austria to regain power from the Allies, also banned the reunification of Germany and Austria, further cementing their separate identities.
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Austria's Catholic religious identity
Austria has historically been a strongly Catholic country, having been the centre of the Habsburg monarchy (1273–1918) which championed Roman Catholicism. The Habsburgs viewed themselves as the vanguard of Catholicism, and all other religions were repressed. In the 16th century, many Austrians converted to Protestantism, with almost half becoming Lutherans by 1545, while a minority also endorsed Calvinism. However, the Habsburgs enacted measures of Counter-Reformation as early as 1527, harshly repressing Austrian Protestantism and restoring Catholicism as the dominant religion.
The rivalry for power between the Habsburg rulers and their subject nobles was a prominent factor in the rise of Protestantism within Austria. The nobles, as lords of their estates, could encroach upon the administration of parishes, confiscate Church property, and replace Catholic pastors with Evangelical preachers. The towns and marketplaces were influenced by the example of the nobles, and at the time of its widest spread, the reformation claimed three-quarters of the Austrian population.
The Austrian Jewish community of 1938, which counted more than 200,000 people with over 90 synagogues and temples throughout the country, was reduced to around 4,500 during World War II, with about 65,000 Jewish Austrians killed in the Holocaust and 130,000 emigrating. The large majority of the current Jewish population are post-war immigrants, particularly from Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Since the end of World War I and the fall of the Habsburg monarchy, there has been a general decline of Christianity in Austria, with the exception of Orthodox churches, and a proliferation of other religions. This process has been particularly pronounced in the capital state of Vienna. In the 2001 census, 73.8% of Austrians identified as Christian, with 64.1% identifying as Roman Catholic. By the 2021 census, the number of Christians had declined to 68.2%, with 55.2% identifying as Roman Catholic. The proportion of Austrians with no religious affiliation increased from 4.3% in 1971 to 22.4% in 2021.
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Austria's dominance within the HRE
Austria's dominance within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) can be attributed to several factors, including its powerful ruling houses, its role as the seat of power for the Empire, and its influence over other German states.
From 1273 to 1918, Austria was dominated by the House of Habsburg and the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. The Habsburgs became the ruling family of the HRE in 1440, and their possessions unified under a central government in 1804, creating the Austrian Empire. This empire was the third most populous monarchy in Europe and the third-largest in terms of geography. The Austrian Empire included various territories, such as Bohemia, present-day Czech Republic, northern Italy, and western Poland, in addition to modern-day Austria.
The HRE, which lasted from the Early Middle Ages until its dissolution in 1806, was a powerful polity in Central and Western Europe, often led by the Holy Roman Emperor. During the 18th century, the German dualism between Austria and Prussia dominated the empire's history. The numerous German states within the HRE constantly vied for power, often resulting in conflicts. Prussia became Austria's main rival for influence over their neighbouring German states, particularly over the province of Silesia (present-day southwestern Poland).
After the fall of Napoleon in 1815, Austria re-established its dominance by creating the German Confederation, uniting the German states under its leadership. However, this period also saw the rise of Pan-Germanism and diplomatic tensions with Prussia, which aspired to exclude Austria from its affairs. Despite Austria's proposals for a union centred on the Habsburgs, Prussia ultimately succeeded in creating a German Customs Union, laying the groundwork for the eventual exclusion of Austria from the German Confederation after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.
In summary, Austria's dominance within the HRE was characterised by its powerful ruling houses, its central role as the seat of imperial power, and its influence over other German states. However, this dominance was challenged over time, particularly by Prussia, which sought to unify the German states under its own leadership, ultimately leading to Austria's exclusion from the German Confederation in the latter half of the 19th century.
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Austria's loss of power in the 19th century
During the 18th century, the Kingdom of Prussia emerged as a significant rival to Austrian dominance within the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). Prussia's growing influence in the German states challenged Austria's position, leading to a series of wars between the two powers over the province of Silesia from 1740 to 1763. The collapse of the HRE during the Napoleonic Wars in the late 18th and early 19th centuries further diminished Austrian power in the region. Napoleon's invasion of the HRE in 1806 marked a turning point, as Austria was pushed out of German politics.
Additionally, the Austrian Empire's expansion eastward into Hungary, Bohemia, and Slavic territories contributed to its non-German character. This diversification of the empire, particularly in the 19th century, distanced Austria from a purely German identity.
The formation of the Triple Alliance in 1882 between the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, and the Kingdom of Italy reflected the evolving dynamics in the region. Austria-Hungary's ambition to establish Serbia as its protectorate led to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, triggering World War I. The outcome of the war significantly altered the political landscape, resulting in the fall of the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires.
The post-war period witnessed Austria briefly renaming itself the Republic of German-Austria, seeking union with Germany. However, this attempt at reunification was prohibited by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1919, maintaining Austria and Germany as separate entities.
In summary, Austria's loss of power in the 19th century resulted from a combination of factors, including the rise of Prussia, the collapse of the HRE, the diversification of the Austrian Empire, and the political repercussions of World War I. These events shaped the relationship between Austria and Germany, leading to their distinct identities and trajectories in the following centuries.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria's objective in the game is to unite the empire, and Germany is only formed after the dissolution of the empire. It wouldn't make sense for Austria to break up the empire and reform it as Germany.
Austria expanded eastward into Hungary, Bohemia, and Slavic nations, which made their empire less German. Austria also tried to gain strength as the emperor, rather than through conquest like Prussia.
Austria and Germany have different religious identities, with Austria being predominantly Catholic and Germany being predominantly Protestant. Additionally, Austria has a separate national identity from Germany, with only 6% of Austrians identifying as Germans in a 1987 survey.
In 1918, after World War I, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in an attempt to unite with Germany. However, this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye created by the winners of World War I. In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Austrian-born Adolf Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany in what became known as the Anschluss.
