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Part One-Hundred Twelve: The Great War and German Politics
Next update's finished! I'll add footnotes and correct accents and such later today.
Part One-Hundred Twelve: The Great War and German Politics
Eastern Front:
Through much of the summer and autumn of 1907, the primary focus of the German offensive in the Eastern Front was on finally capturing Krakow. The difficulties the German army faced in capturing the city had long delayed possible offensives elsewhere and it had become a top priority. The German army finally made significant progress in 1907 as General von Hötzendorf at last made a successful crossing of the Vistula near Brzysko. Now with Krakow almost fully surrounded by German forces and cut off from Coalition supply lines, the Germans forced Krakow to surrender. However, the surrender did not come easily as the impatience of the German high command regarding Krakow led to further direct assaults on the now heavily fortified city. The final actions in the Siege of Krakow led to over forty thousand casualties on both sides and the German artillery left much of the outer areas of the city in ruins[1]. Krakow finally surrendered to the German army on October 28th, 1907 after a year and three months of resistance. Soon after the fall of Krakow, Jozef Korzeniowski set up a temporary Polish government in the city and organized the first Polish Legion, led by Józef Haller[2], which soon entered the front alongside the German army.
Meanwhile the front in Hungary remained largely static. While there were some minor gains for both the Germans and the New Coalition forces, almost all offensives in the Danubian Plain or around Lake Balaton in 1907 were indecisive and resulted in minimal gain for either side. The only important areas to change hands during 1907 were Várpalota and Lendava. West of Lake Balaton, the German army captured Lendava[3] in August 1907, bringing the Germans slightly closer to Varasd and entering Slavonia. Near Budapest, however, the New Coalition successfully captured Várpalota and Mór, pushing the Germans back from Budapest and Székesfehérvár. On the Polish front, the German army consolidated its territorial gains while expanding the northern Polish front and advancing as far as Kowal. The southern Polish front kept its advance toward Warsaw until it was repulsed by Russian forces near Ujazd[4] in late July. Despite the southern advance being stopped, the Germans still succeeded in taking Lodz and Strykow.
German Politics Brewing:
While the Great War was primarily a struggle between the dominant European powers, it was also a backdrop for several brewing internal political struggles. This was particularly the case in Germany. After the annexation of Austria in 1890, Frederick III was deciding on who to appoint as governor. When it became rumored that the Emperor was considering Joseph Leopold von Habsburg[5], then head of the house of Habsburg, for the governorship and restoring the archduchy, protests broke out in Vienna and Linz. With some of the protesting in Vienna becoming violent and the Habsburgs already being belittled in German political circles, the Emperor formally announced that Franz Anton von Thun-Hohenstein would be the governor of Austria. The appointment was enough to placate the Austrian people, but it contributed to a small but growing movement for a more federal system within the German Empire.
The Bundesland movement had its origins shortly after the unification of Germany, with small groups unhappy with the special autonomous status given only to Bavaria and Hanover. While the movement stayed fairly small during the first years of a unified German Empire, the Bundesland movement grew around the turn of the century among Czechs in Bohemia and labor leaders in Austria and in the Rhineland who wanted more autonomy for their regions. One of the most influential leaders of the Bundesland movement was Tomáš Mazaryk[6], a Czech who served in the Reichstag from Bohemia. Mazaryk questioned why Bavaria and Hanover should receive more autonomy than other German provinces and, as a member of the Young Czech Party, advocated more autonomy for Bohemia and the Czechs in the province in particular. The Bundesland movement had little overall success within the German Empire as a whole during the Great War, and Mazaryk's efforts were sidelined due to Bohemia's strategic importance. However, prior to 1900 the movement did have minor victories. In 1897, Emperor Frederick granted Austria the right to self-government, which meant it could elect its own governor with approval from the emperor. Two years later, Austria became the first region of Germany to grant universal suffrage.
Along with the Bundesland movement, another movement began to surface in the German Empire around the turn of the century. While the Mid-Century revolutions and the unification of Germany had granted more freedom to Jews in Germany, the impact of the Panic of 1876 in Germany and increased immigration of Russian Jews into Germany led to another wave in anti-Jewish discrimination. While restrictions on Jewish business ownership and freedoms were placed in many German provinces, the worst instances of anti-Jewish legislation took place in Bavaria under the influence of Karl Lueger. Lueger rose to the leadership of the Christian Democratic Party of Bavaria and used the influence of the party to promote harsh policies including prohibiting Jews from becoming judges and placing high taxes on Jewish couples. These anti-Jewish actions spurred emigration of Jews from Germany to France and the United States in the 1890s, as well as spurred discussion of the creation of a Jewish state. While many Russian Jews had moved to Palestine in the late 19th century, fewer German Jews had done so. In 1907 after Russia entered the Great War against Germany, prominent Zionist Max Bodenheimer proposed the establishment of a Jewish autonomous province that would be carved out of Congress Poland[7]. The idea, which also gained the support of some such as Lueger as a policy of Jewish resettlement, would come under consideration by the German Foreign Ministry in its war aims against Russia in the Great War.
[1] Much of the historic center of Krakow including the castle and cathedral in Wawel and the town hall survived and became icons of Krakow and Polish nationalism.
[2] One of the OTL commanders in the Polish Legion, but here with an elevated position.
[3] Lendava is in the very northeastern tip of Slovenia in OTL.
[4] The Ujazd near Tomaszow Mazowiecki. Poland has way too many villages named Ujazd.
[5] Fictional son of Archduke Maximilian, OTL Maximilian I of Mexico.
[6] Mazaryk was the OTL first president of Czechoslovakia.
[7] Bodenheimer also made a similar proposal in OTL, the League of East European States.
Part One-Hundred Twelve: The Great War and German Politics
Eastern Front:
Through much of the summer and autumn of 1907, the primary focus of the German offensive in the Eastern Front was on finally capturing Krakow. The difficulties the German army faced in capturing the city had long delayed possible offensives elsewhere and it had become a top priority. The German army finally made significant progress in 1907 as General von Hötzendorf at last made a successful crossing of the Vistula near Brzysko. Now with Krakow almost fully surrounded by German forces and cut off from Coalition supply lines, the Germans forced Krakow to surrender. However, the surrender did not come easily as the impatience of the German high command regarding Krakow led to further direct assaults on the now heavily fortified city. The final actions in the Siege of Krakow led to over forty thousand casualties on both sides and the German artillery left much of the outer areas of the city in ruins[1]. Krakow finally surrendered to the German army on October 28th, 1907 after a year and three months of resistance. Soon after the fall of Krakow, Jozef Korzeniowski set up a temporary Polish government in the city and organized the first Polish Legion, led by Józef Haller[2], which soon entered the front alongside the German army.
Meanwhile the front in Hungary remained largely static. While there were some minor gains for both the Germans and the New Coalition forces, almost all offensives in the Danubian Plain or around Lake Balaton in 1907 were indecisive and resulted in minimal gain for either side. The only important areas to change hands during 1907 were Várpalota and Lendava. West of Lake Balaton, the German army captured Lendava[3] in August 1907, bringing the Germans slightly closer to Varasd and entering Slavonia. Near Budapest, however, the New Coalition successfully captured Várpalota and Mór, pushing the Germans back from Budapest and Székesfehérvár. On the Polish front, the German army consolidated its territorial gains while expanding the northern Polish front and advancing as far as Kowal. The southern Polish front kept its advance toward Warsaw until it was repulsed by Russian forces near Ujazd[4] in late July. Despite the southern advance being stopped, the Germans still succeeded in taking Lodz and Strykow.
German Politics Brewing:
While the Great War was primarily a struggle between the dominant European powers, it was also a backdrop for several brewing internal political struggles. This was particularly the case in Germany. After the annexation of Austria in 1890, Frederick III was deciding on who to appoint as governor. When it became rumored that the Emperor was considering Joseph Leopold von Habsburg[5], then head of the house of Habsburg, for the governorship and restoring the archduchy, protests broke out in Vienna and Linz. With some of the protesting in Vienna becoming violent and the Habsburgs already being belittled in German political circles, the Emperor formally announced that Franz Anton von Thun-Hohenstein would be the governor of Austria. The appointment was enough to placate the Austrian people, but it contributed to a small but growing movement for a more federal system within the German Empire.
The Bundesland movement had its origins shortly after the unification of Germany, with small groups unhappy with the special autonomous status given only to Bavaria and Hanover. While the movement stayed fairly small during the first years of a unified German Empire, the Bundesland movement grew around the turn of the century among Czechs in Bohemia and labor leaders in Austria and in the Rhineland who wanted more autonomy for their regions. One of the most influential leaders of the Bundesland movement was Tomáš Mazaryk[6], a Czech who served in the Reichstag from Bohemia. Mazaryk questioned why Bavaria and Hanover should receive more autonomy than other German provinces and, as a member of the Young Czech Party, advocated more autonomy for Bohemia and the Czechs in the province in particular. The Bundesland movement had little overall success within the German Empire as a whole during the Great War, and Mazaryk's efforts were sidelined due to Bohemia's strategic importance. However, prior to 1900 the movement did have minor victories. In 1897, Emperor Frederick granted Austria the right to self-government, which meant it could elect its own governor with approval from the emperor. Two years later, Austria became the first region of Germany to grant universal suffrage.
Along with the Bundesland movement, another movement began to surface in the German Empire around the turn of the century. While the Mid-Century revolutions and the unification of Germany had granted more freedom to Jews in Germany, the impact of the Panic of 1876 in Germany and increased immigration of Russian Jews into Germany led to another wave in anti-Jewish discrimination. While restrictions on Jewish business ownership and freedoms were placed in many German provinces, the worst instances of anti-Jewish legislation took place in Bavaria under the influence of Karl Lueger. Lueger rose to the leadership of the Christian Democratic Party of Bavaria and used the influence of the party to promote harsh policies including prohibiting Jews from becoming judges and placing high taxes on Jewish couples. These anti-Jewish actions spurred emigration of Jews from Germany to France and the United States in the 1890s, as well as spurred discussion of the creation of a Jewish state. While many Russian Jews had moved to Palestine in the late 19th century, fewer German Jews had done so. In 1907 after Russia entered the Great War against Germany, prominent Zionist Max Bodenheimer proposed the establishment of a Jewish autonomous province that would be carved out of Congress Poland[7]. The idea, which also gained the support of some such as Lueger as a policy of Jewish resettlement, would come under consideration by the German Foreign Ministry in its war aims against Russia in the Great War.
[1] Much of the historic center of Krakow including the castle and cathedral in Wawel and the town hall survived and became icons of Krakow and Polish nationalism.
[2] One of the OTL commanders in the Polish Legion, but here with an elevated position.
[3] Lendava is in the very northeastern tip of Slovenia in OTL.
[4] The Ujazd near Tomaszow Mazowiecki. Poland has way too many villages named Ujazd.
[5] Fictional son of Archduke Maximilian, OTL Maximilian I of Mexico.
[6] Mazaryk was the OTL first president of Czechoslovakia.
[7] Bodenheimer also made a similar proposal in OTL, the League of East European States.
- wilcoxchar
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