AHC: Depose the Hapsburgs, the Austrian Empire Remains Intact after 1864

Rush Tarquin

Gone Fishin'
Your challenge is to have the Hapsburgs deposed after 1864, but with the Austrian/Austro-Hungarian Empire remaining intact, at least until 1900. It cannot hinge on an Austrian loss in the Seven Weeks War, though you can hasten, delay, or prevent that war, as long as you account for it. The POD can be anytime after 1780. 'Intact' is defined as not losing any considerable amount of core territory (Kingdom Hungary, Croatia, and Cislethenian Austria) as a direct result of the Hapsburgs being deposed.

EDIT: It doesn't need to remain an Empire either.
 
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Sheer impossible. Not everyone liked the monarchy, but they held the state together (somewhat). Nationalists wanted independence. Only way to avoid it falling apart would be (might be) a decidedly internationalist regime... a successful Socialist revolution? But they wouldn't call their state an empire for sure.
 

Rush Tarquin

Gone Fishin'
Sheer impossible. Not everyone liked the monarchy, but they held the state together (somewhat). Nationalists wanted independence. Only way to avoid it falling apart would be (might be) a decidedly internationalist regime... a successful Socialist revolution? But they wouldn't call their state an empire for sure.

An internationalist regime is fine as long as one can account for how it comes about. The territory, not the nature of the state, is the focus and requirement. Did A-H ever have enough socialists compared to Germany or, later, Russia? It might need a POD which gives it more industrial areas first.
 
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Not in OTL. Also, you may need a different (i.e. unpopular) emperor. Franz Joseph was no evil dictator, and especially the later one wasn't someone to hate. People would be more like "no, we can't do that to the poor old man, it would kill him!"
 

Rush Tarquin

Gone Fishin'
I don't know how plausible it is, but if Austria can land a victory against Prussia before 1848, Austria might look strong enough to avoid the worst of the 1848 revolutions. If Ferdinand remains Emperor with Archduke Louis and Metternich remaining the power behind the throne, that's plenty to be unhappy about. If Austria manages to reclaim Silesia in the war with Prussia, there are some industrial areas which could breed more socialists. As an outside improbability, Austria could turn a South German Confederation into an extension of itself, trounce Prussia with French support (with the understanding that France will get some of the favourable border readjustments they want in the region), set up some Hapsburg duchies in the Rhineland, and eventually incorporate them into Austria. The Rhineland means even more industrial workers to contend with. Of course, that might be a good reason for the Austrians to not want to administer it directly.
 
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