1912
Wroclaw, Silesia, Habsburg Empire
While the Northern Confederation tore itself apart, the same factionalism was being experienced in the Habsburg Empire. Surprisingly, Silesia was the latest source of vexation to the Emperor.
Silesia had long been a cross-roads between Poland and Germany, between Protestant and Catholic (with some Jews as well). Centuries ago, this region was mainly Polish Catholic, then experienced waves of German Lutheran immigration. After the brief occupation of Silesia in the early 18th century (1742 to 1760) by the House of Hohenzollern, it returned to Habsburg control. While the Habsburgs did not expel the German Protestants which made up a large portion of the population (and virtually ALL of the German residents were Lutheran at this point), the Habsburgs DID encourage German Catholic migration to the region (mostly from Habsburg Bavaria/Austria but also Catholics from other parts of Germany unhappy with Protestant rule) as well as Polish, Bohemian, Ruthenian and other Catholics. The Habsburgs even allowed a large Jewish population in hopes of diluting the Protestants further (thus the 7% Jewish population), at least until the mid 19th century when too many Jews were crossing the border from suddenly hostile Poland.
In the end, Silesia in 1912 was a diverse mish-mash of religion and ethnicity comprising roughly 31% German Catholic, 25% German Protestant, 24% Polish Catholic, 7% Jewish and the remaining 13% a mix of Bohemian, Moravian, Ruthenian, Hungarian, Croat, etc (the heavy majority of these Catholic)) whom had settled the region to work in the flourishing mining and industrial sectors.
Even when other regions of the Empire had been simmering with political discontent, Silesia had generally been passive. However, the recent years had seen a massive change in sentiment towards further autonomy. Initially, this was supported by all factions with the intent for cooperation in governing themselves. However, the Protestant Northern Confederation had been attempting to entice Silesian annexation just as the Habsburgs encouraged loyalism.
The Poles and Jews were largely neutral but the Habsburgs had long looked nervously northwards as the prospering Kingdom of Poland may seek to influence some of northeastern regions of Silesia with large Polish populations.
By 1912, riots were routinely experienced in Wroclaw and revolutionary groups ranging by religious affiliation, ethnic boundaries, separatists wanting their own crown, republicans, anarchists, etc, etc. Silesia appeared destined for chaos.
Rome, Italy, Habsburg Empire
Of all the assorted Kingdoms in the Habsburg Empire, Italy was the largest, most recently added and, most importantly, politically unified in their demand for autonomy. While there remained great gaps between northern and southern Italian economies, both regions had long advocated ever increasing levels of local political power.
In truth, the Habsburgs had quite steadily ceded ever greater power to the Italian Parliament over the past decades. Indeed, Italy's Parliament maintained greater levels of authority than even Austria's.
But the Habsburg influence on Italy was limited due to the short nature of the Habsburg rule, the geographic isolation of Italy and the large population. Here, Imperial force could not command Italian fealty, only compromise and dedication to Italian public concerns.
However, resentment against the Habsburg Viceroy ran deep despite his good intentions. It seemed only a matter of time until some event tipped the peninsula into outright rebellion.
The nature of this event would come as somewhat of a surprise.
Vienna, Arch-Duchy of Austria, Habsburg Empire
The year 1912 was particularly hard on Vienna. The economy of Austria as a whole had fallen into recession. Several large employers had been shut down. Worse, a dismally cold winter had resulted in the damage to several train tracks at the same time which cut off the Habsburg Capital to shipments of coal and firewood.
Bizarrely, the capital had become a center of the recent "Anarchist" and "Socialist" factions in the Empire, largely due to the presence of several Universities. These two groups often collaborated in protests, a somewhat confusing state of affairs as the two groups seemed to be, by definition, on the opposite ends of the political spectrum.
"Anarchists" were largely dismissed as drunken idiots who didn't want to work.
"Socialists" were constantly speaking of "oppressed workers" though few of the "Socialists" were working class or had even gotten their hands dirty in their lives. They tended to be upper to middle class students who viewed a Socialist society with them at the top as "leaders" or what have you. Certainly, should the Socialist Revolution come, they did not intend to work in the fields or factories but would act as some sort of "Socialist Priesthood" spreading the gospel of Socialism to the grateful people who naturally gave them all that they wanted.
Both groups were roundly ignored by most facets of society as bored students who should get jobs before they spouted political slogans. Typically, the only time they would get any attention is when a handful of these "Radicals" would get caught plotting some idiot terrorist attack or assassination attempt.
In Vienna in particular, the "Socialist Leadership" as the students tended to call themselves were kept at distance by the actual workers. On one occasion during a strike at a local coal mining facility, the students walked into the Union meeting hall decked in their finery and spouted their slogans. The hard-faced miners took one look at the boys who'd never worked a day in their lives and beat the students to a bloody pulp. After that, the Unions and Student Radicals tended not to affiliate.
1912 would see the actions of these two groups, taken entirely in without the knowledge of the other, result in unexpected and far-reaching ways.
The coal miners, hearing that coal was being delivered from the west by rail, would cut the railroad in several points with the intention of halting the coal shipments. This succeeded beyond expectation as the cold weather, ice and snow prevented easy access to army units to brush aside the miners and repair the track.
At the same time, a faction of Anarchists would sink several boats along the Danube, blocking the rivers for weeks....just long enough for the River to freeze.
A group of 200 "Socialist" students plotted a takeover of Vienna with the aid of some textile factory workers. While this sort of "revolution" tended to be halted quickly, the problems elsewhere blinded the government to the point that the students managed to cut the telegraph lines into the city as well as burn several Marconi Radio towers.
By December of 1912, the city was cut off and facing a heating crisis by Christmas during the coldest winter on record. It would take the government months to settle the problems. By the time, the students were arrested, the miners were offered a compromise to get back to work (and a pardon for their crimes), it seemed half the Habsburg Empire was in the flame of outright rebellion.