Ruqayyah Snyder
Austria and Hungary were once part of the now-defunct Austro-Hungarian Empire, a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe. The Empire was a union between the Austrian and Hungarian states, which were co-equal in power and shared a monarch. The two countries have a long common history, sharing a border that can be crossed without control. Despite this shared history, it is unlikely that Austria and Hungary will reunite due to the many differences that led to the dissolution of their union. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was made up of diverse nationalities, many of whom were treated as second-class citizens, and the Hungarian and Austrian interests diverged over time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Current relationship | Neighbourly relations exist between Austria and Hungary, with both countries being members of the European Union and the Council of Europe. They share a 366-km border that can be crossed anywhere without control due to the Schengen Agreement. |
| Historical context | Austria and Hungary have a long shared history, with the ruling dynasty of Austria, the Habsburgs, inheriting the Hungarian throne in the 16th century. They were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867 to 1918, a constitutional monarchy consisting of two sovereign states with a single monarch. |
| World War I impact | The Austro-Hungarian Empire's role in World War I, its failure to contain ethnic tensions, and the rise of nationalist movements led to its collapse in 1918. The empire's multi-ethnic army lost morale, and leftist and liberal movements in Vienna and Budapest supported separatism. |
| Post-World War I | The Treaty of Versailles (1919) and the Treaty of Trianon (1920) led to territorial changes, with Hungary ceding its westernmost part to Austria. Austria and Hungary established diplomatic relations in 1921. |
| World War II and Cold War | During World War II, Hungarian prisoners of war were held in German-annexed Austria. The Cold War and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 influenced relations, with tens of thousands of Hungarian refugees fleeing to Austria. |
| Recent history | Both countries continue to cooperate within the European Union, and Hungarian remains an official language in some communities of Burgenland, Austria. |
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What You'll Learn
The Austro-Hungarian Empire
The Hungarian state received full internal autonomy and a responsible ministry, while the empire remained a single great state for purposes of war and foreign affairs. The two countries maintained common ministries of foreign affairs and defence under the direct authority of the monarch, as well as a finance ministry responsible for financing these two "common" portfolios. The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous region under the Hungarian crown, and after 1878, Bosnia and Herzegovina came under joint Austro-Hungarian military and civilian rule.
The monarchy collapsed in 1918 following World War I, in which the disastrous foreign policy of the monarchy played a part. After the war, Austria and Hungary established diplomatic relations and today, they share a 366-kilometre border that can be crossed anywhere without control due to the Schengen Agreement.
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The Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburgs were one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization, ruling vast realms throughout the continent during the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period. They were known for their inbreeding and their custom of vesting the government of their hereditary domains in all male members of the family in common. The family split several times into parallel branches, most notably in the mid-16th century between its Spanish and German-Austrian branches following the abdication of Emperor Charles V in 1556. Charles V divided the House in 1556 by ceding Austria and the Imperial crown to Ferdinand, and the Spanish Empire to his son Philip. The Austrian branch, which also ruled the Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, and Bohemia, remained a single personal union after 1665.
The Habsburg realms were officially unified in 1804 with the formation of the Austrian Empire, and later split in two with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. The monarchy began to fracture during the final years of World War I and ultimately disbanded with the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria and the First Hungarian Republic in late 1918. The terms "Austria" or "Austrians" are frequently used as shorthand for the Habsburg Monarchy since the 18th century.
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The First World War
Austria-Hungary's most significant contribution to the war effort was manpower and food, with over 3.8 million soldiers conscripted from the Kingdom of Hungary alone. The empire was more urbanised than its opponents, with a modest industrial base, and an overall more industrialised economy than some of its rivals. However, as the war progressed, economic conditions at home deteriorated. The empire relied heavily on agriculture, which in turn depended on the labour of men who were now fighting on the front lines. Food production fell, transportation systems became overcrowded, and industrial production could not keep up with the demand for munitions.
The duality of the Habsburg monarchy was evident during the war. While the Austrian parliament was suspended in March 1914, the Hungarian parliament continued its sessions, with the Hungarian government showing less willingness to submit to military authority. The Hungarian prime minister, Count István Tisza, and the foreign minister, Count István Burián, held decisive influence over the internal and external affairs of the monarchy. However, by late 1916, food supplies from Hungary became irregular, and the government sought an armistice with the Entente powers. This failed as Britain and France no longer supported the integrity of the monarchy due to its alignment with Germany.
The armistice between the Allies and Austria-Hungary was signed on November 3, 1918, and came into effect the following day. As a result, Austria-Hungary was required to evacuate occupied territories and expel German forces from its lands. The war had a significant impact on the empire, leading to its collapse and the eventual separation of Austria and Hungary.
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The Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Austria and Hungary have a long shared history, having both been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867 to 1918. In more recent times, the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 caused a wave of Hungarian refugees to enter Austria.
On 24 October, Soviet defence minister Georgy Zhukov ordered the Red Army to occupy Budapest, and by midday, Soviet tanks were stationed outside the parliament building. Hungarian revolutionaries barricaded the streets to defend their city. Imre Nagy became prime minister and tried to restore peace, asking the Soviets to withdraw their troops. The Soviets did withdraw, but Nagy then pushed the revolution forward by abolishing one-party rule and announcing Hungary's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact.
On 4 November, the USSR repressed the Hungarian Revolution, fighting until their victory on 10 November. The repression of the uprising killed 2,500 Hungarians and 700 Soviet soldiers, and 200,000 Hungarians fled the country as refugees, mostly to Austria. Nagy was executed for treason in 1958.
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The Treaty of Trianon
The treaty is famous for the territorial changes it induced on Hungary and for recognizing its new international borders. Hungary was shorn of at least two-thirds of its former territory and two-thirds of its inhabitants. Czechoslovakia was given Slovakia, sub-Carpathian Ruthenia, the region of Pressburg (Bratislava), and other minor sites. Austria received western Hungary (most of Burgenland). The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) took Croatia-Slavonia and part of the Banat. Romania received most of Banat and all of Transylvania. Italy received Fiume.
In addition to redrawing Hungary's borders, the treaty also laid down rules for the restoration of economic relations between Hungary and foreign countries, including Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia. The peace treaty de facto ended the Allied blockade of Hungary and de jure ordered the resumption of regional trade and the supply of coal to Hungary from Czechoslovakia and Poland. The treaty also included the Covenant of the League of Nations, which restricted Hungary's armed forces to 35,000 men, lightly armed and employed only to maintain internal order and secure the frontiers.
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Frequently asked questions
The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe that existed between 1867 and 1918. It was formed by the union of two sovereign states, the Empire of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary, under a single monarch.
The immediate reasons for the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire were World War I, the 1918 crop failure, starvation, and an economic crisis. The empire had also been weakened by a widening gap between Hungarian and Austrian interests, and the growth of internal social contradictions.
After the collapse of the empire, the remaining territories were ceded to existing or newly formed states. The Kingdom of Hungary and the First Austrian Republic were recognised as its successors, and the independence of the First Czechoslovak Republic, the Second Polish Republic, and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was also recognised.
Austria and Hungary continue to share a 366-kilometre border, which can be crossed anywhere without control due to the Schengen Agreement. Both countries are members of the European Union and have diplomatic relations, although some tensions remain due to their shared history.
There are no current plans or movements for Austria and Hungary to reunite. The two countries have distinct national identities and are pursuing their own independent paths within the European Union.
