Austria inside: a Greater German Empire TL
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CHAPTER XXIV: THE INDEPENDENCE OF AUSTRIA
The new Constitution of 1914 had been tipped to establish a durable balance between Republicans and Monarchists, but popular pressure against the ‘minor monarchs’ had not ceased even if most of the politicians tried to ignore it.
After a hiatus of relative peace, new Republican movements resurface during 1920. The trigger in this case is the sudden death of the last Grand Duke of Baden on February 8th 1920 without an apparent heir; after some disputes between alternate heirs, a popular movement demands in Karlsruhe the abolition of the Grand Duchy and the establishment of a Free State. This is the first proposal of monarchic abolition since 1914, so Austria and Bavaria intervene in order to appease the situation, fearing another wave of Republicanism in South Germany.
However, the negotiations fail and the Free State of Baden is finally proclaimed (April 10th 1920). As Bavarians and Austrians feared, Republican demands increase again in their own territories, especially in Franconia and Tirol. Anyway, the Kingdom of Württemberg will be the next ‘victim’ after the death of King William II on June 2nd, following exactly the same steps of neighboring Baden.
Violent revolts break out in Franconia during the summer. Austria helps Bavaria to suffocate them, but the situation does not stop to deteriorate in the province. Initially, the Franconian Republicans try to impose a Free State in all Bavaria, but realizing a total lack of support in conservative Old Bavaria, they finally opt for their own Franconian Free State. After weeks of negotiation, the German general government tries to make Bavaria to accept a plebiscite in Franconia, but Munich, with full Austrian support, rejects the idea.
Austria and Bavaria threaten the German government with secession if Franconia is allowed to secede from the Kingdom of Bavaria. President Friedrich Ebert, recently re-elected, decides to let the decision of allowing the plebiscite to the Senate, expecting that the Senate might reject it. But surprisingly the Senate allows it (60 Yes vs. 55 No), causing a major outrage in the Bavarian and Austrian royal courts. The plebiscite is set for November 21st 1920.
As expected, the Free State option wins (62% Yes), but Bavaria and Austria do not recognize the results. The Kingdom of Austria declares the independence shortly after (December 3rd), fearing the Republican contagion (part of the Tirol was out of control of Vienna); Bavaria does the same, but it fails to succeed when the last Bavarian King, Louis III, is forced to abdicate by his son Prince Rupert, accusing him of losing control over Franconia. German agents manage to capture Rupert, who will be judged later, accused of treason. Old Bavaria remains formally as the ‘remaining’ of the legitimate Kingdom, but without an actual King in the throne.
President Ebert forms a special delegation in order to negotiate with Austria the revocation of the independence, but King Rudolf III refuses to attend it at first. However, the Principality of Bohemia and Moravia, tied to Vienna, decides to stay neutral in the conflict, as well as the German-Hungarian duchies. Thus, realizing the lack of support from their closest allies, the Austrian government decides to suspend temporarily the effects of the independence, which is not formally revoked.
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Béla Kun, leader of the Hungarian Socialist League.
The United Kingdom, fearing a new internal war in the Empire of Germany which could eventually damage their commercial routes to the Adriatic Sea, offers its diplomatic service in order to mediate between Frankfurt and Vienna. Unfortunately, two unexpected events would drive these efforts to a big failure: first, the serious illness of Rudolf III, who is obliged to transfer most of his powers to his ambitious son Prince Rudolf (IV), and later the dramatic victory of the reformed Socialist League, led by Béla Kun, in Hungary (14th February 1921).
Prince Rudolf is an ambitious and war-lover man who dreams with the restoration of a powerful Austrian Empire and he usually claims for the ‘reunion’ with Hungary in his speeches. The socialist win in Hungary gives him a perfect excuse for a new Austrian intervention there, as the Austrian government, as well as others, consider the Socialist victory a first step for the Hungarian integration in the USR.
Ignoring the efforts for the German reunification, Prince Rudolf invades Hungary by surprise (March 10th), which is contested by both USR and Serbia, allies of Hungary.
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what's happened to create such anti-British feeling in Ireland and Scotland?
......Their Ireland and Scotland.....that's pretty much it.
Those are certainly some major blows to monarchism in Germany. Will the King of Austria manage to win the thrown of Bavaria, given that it wishes for a monarch and its cultural similarities to Austria?
I am wondering how the rest of the empire will react to Austria's deceleration of war against Hungary?
I am wondering how the rest of the empire will react to Austria's deceleration of war against Hungary?
The problem with Austria is that the rest of Germany has just turned against the traditional minor monarchies while they still want to revive the old glories of the defunct A-H Empire.
However, popular classes in Austria are closer to these anti-monarchist movements of the rest of Germany and they do not support the Austrian elites as in the A-H era.
No, but it is on hiatus due to the lack of suitable ideas about how to end it without messing it too much.
Is this Dead Time Line ???
Because I'm sincere, I've followed it from the beginning and it's quite entertaining to read and speculative.
Because I'm sincere, I've followed it from the beginning and it's quite entertaining to read and speculative.
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