Alternate Austria-Hungary

My impression is that Austria treated its minorities better than the Hungarians. What if Austria, when Austria-Hungary was established in 1867, had trasferred most of the non-Hungarian-speaking areas of Hungary to the Austrian parts of the monarchy? I assume that the minorities themselves would have preferred this to remaining part of Hungary. Probably they would have preferred a similar status as Austria and Hungary (if not independence), but I would think that being ruled directly by the less oppressive Austrians would be preferable to staying as part of Hungary.

Would Austria have the power to do this or would it lead to Hungary splitting away from the Habsburgs? I assume that Austria in this case would attempt a "divide and rule" strategy? Is it possible that they would even try it or would they not care whether the areas were ruled by Austria or Hungary as long as they remained part of the Habsburg monarchy? An advantage could be that one would avoid some of the dissatisfaction that resulted from the Hungarian oppression.

The best alternate Austria-Hungary is no Austria-Hungary at all.

Hungarians wouldn't accept that. Franz Ferdinand had bit similar plans for A-H (triple monarchy), but Hungarians disliked about that greatly. Only way get Hungarians accept that is military force, but this not be lasting solution. Government of Austria had created real mess which hardly can survive.

The Hungarian Magnates wouldn't have accepted this, which is why it should have been done after one of the many Hungarian Rebellions that Austria put down. Seriously, the Hungarian Magnates constantly started shit and Austria just wagged their finger like "Oh You!".

Particularly after 1848, The Kingdom of Hungary should have been pretty much torn apart, with Romanian Loyalists in Transylvania, The Croats, and possibly even the Slovenians getting their own Crown Lands. This would have pretty much guaranteed their loyalty, especially the Croats, who were already loyal until the Austrians threw them under the Hungarian Bus. Likewise, the Slovenes originally counter-rebelled against the Hungarians until conflicting statements by the Austrians drove them into the Hungarian Camp.

The Hungarian Magnates won't like it but they can go to hell, they ended up completely ruining the entire monarchy by acting like spoiled brats with the Habsburgs inexplicably just putting up with it. And they've just launched a failed rebellion. They don't deserve to retain any power at all.

Couldn´t the Austrians have used a "divide and rule" strategy? Maybe they even might have gone a step further and promised the Slavs and Rumanians similar status as the Austrian Germans and the Hungarians? The minorities might even help crush the Hungarian magnates.

Eivind said:

Couldn´t the Austrians have used a "divide and rule" strategy? Maybe they even might have gone a step further and promised the Slavs and Rumanians similar status as the Austrian Germans and the Hungarians? The minorities might even help crush the Hungarian magnates.

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Divide et impera was a strategy that Austria already used OTL, pretty much until the unfortunate end of the Empire. That was how Austria was able to get things done - at least until they got rid of that whole ridiculous Reichsrat - thing. Pffft....

Franz Ferdinand and his shadow cabinet looked into trialism and concluded that it would be an even worse headache for Vienna than dualism. So....the best option OTL after the whole stupid ausgleich thing was to enforce universal suffrage in Hungary whilst maintaining the Dual Monarchy edifice. Not a happy solution, but the only really seemingly workable one.

Could have all been avoided had a framework that included ALL the nationalities instead of the disloyal Hungarians been devised.

Eivind said:

Couldn´t the Austrians have used a "divide and rule" strategy? Maybe they even might have gone a step further and promised the Slavs and Rumanians similar status as the Austrian Germans and the Hungarians? The minorities might even help crush the Hungarian magnates.

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You woud need to crush the Magnates before that. Once done raising the rights of the minorities through universal suffrage within the Hungarian crown will neutralize the threat once and for all.

Like cell division the future of Austria-Hungary (and ironically mostly Hungary) would have involved compromise begetting compromise. Autonomous regions, cantons, sub-cantons, bilingual districts.

Ay Yi Yi. The possibilities are dizzying. But it still would have been better than what actually happened.