Is it possible, with a POD after 1815, for the Hapsburg Monarchy to placate the various nationalist movements, especially the Hungarian and Italian ones by creating localized parliaments (Milan, Prague, Budapest) and generally operate in a less centralistic way? As a consequence can those countries remain loyal to the empire and it lasts well into the XXth century, possibly with a federal structure?
Could the 1848 revolutions be avoided or their impact reduced?
The parliaments, don't need to be elective, the members can be appointed, and don't need to have extensive powers at the beginning. They serve the purpose of showing that the Hapsburg empire doesn't exist only in the interest of Wien, but treats its constituent Kingdoms equally, or at least fairly.
I don't know much about Bohemia or Hungary, but in Lombardy-Venetia a major cause of disaffection, which brought the strenghtening of nationalist sentiment, was the appointment of "german" officials at all levels. It might be argued that coopting the local elites would have made them more loyal and less responsive to nationalist ideas.
After all it's better to be a Kingdom in the Great Austrian Empire, than a province of the relatively backwards and very centralistic Kingdom of Sardinia..
[Obviously this isn't at all related with my TL about Muratian Naples.]
Could the 1848 revolutions be avoided or their impact reduced?
The parliaments, don't need to be elective, the members can be appointed, and don't need to have extensive powers at the beginning. They serve the purpose of showing that the Hapsburg empire doesn't exist only in the interest of Wien, but treats its constituent Kingdoms equally, or at least fairly.
I don't know much about Bohemia or Hungary, but in Lombardy-Venetia a major cause of disaffection, which brought the strenghtening of nationalist sentiment, was the appointment of "german" officials at all levels. It might be argued that coopting the local elites would have made them more loyal and less responsive to nationalist ideas.
After all it's better to be a Kingdom in the Great Austrian Empire, than a province of the relatively backwards and very centralistic Kingdom of Sardinia..
[Obviously this isn't at all related with my TL about Muratian Naples.]