Austrian Little Poland, Russian Lviv after Congress of Vienna

[Vistulian]

Alternative Congress of Vienna: What if Austria wanted to retain Carpathian frontier against Russian Empire, but with less byzantine-catholic population (that is with less Rusyns / Ukrainians) and more with roman-catholic Poles? What if tsar Alexander I Romanov was a little more Russian nationalist and wanted to "collect Greater Russian land" for "Triune Greater Russian nation" and wanted Lviv / Lvov /Lemberg more than Polish Lesser Poland (Małopolska)? In my scenario, Austrians wanted to gain some Silesian lands, so Russians gave them former Prussian lands, than is Neuschliessien (New Silesia) with Częstochowa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Silesia

Habsburg s retain Halicz / Khalych, small city upon the Dniestr / Dnyestr river. This is historical capital of Galicia, from which than land has taken name.

Halicz (miasto) – Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia

pl.wikipedia.org

Austrians has OTL incorporated lands of northern Lesser Poland during the Third Partition, but they were forced to give it back to Principality of Warsaw (Napoleon client state) in 1809. 6 years are not so much, so the Austrian administration could be restored there

West Galicia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

By having coal from Zagłębie Dąbrowskie and crude oil from Borysław near Drohobycz / Drohobych, that Konigreich Galizien und Neuschlessien could be more prosperous, and with the capital in Cracow, not in Lemberg / Lviv / Lwów it could be more Western oriented and maybe even could develpe its own national, Lesserpolish consciousness.
Habsburgs could also add to their titulature also 'Prince of Cracow'

On the other hand, Russian Lviv would be strongly connected with the rest of Ukraine. Definitely the Muscovite-friendly party in Western Ukrainian politics would be stronger, Tsar could favorite Ortodox Ukrainians against Byzantine-catholics and Poles, and the Russian oriented party would have benefits for being royalist. Ukrainians will be also praising Tsar for incorporating Khelm / Chełm into the rest of Ukrainian lands. The drawbacks would be weaker Ukrainian culture, as the language of science and administration would be Russian, and not Ukrainian, which was supported by Austrians in the late XIX and early XX century in Galicia.

OTLRussian controlled Lviv for a couple of months in 1914-1915 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_occupation_of_Eastern_Galicia,_1914–15

On current map, it would look like that:

How it could affect Polish, Ukrainian, Austrian and Russian history?
How it could affect I World War?

 

[Nivek]

How it could affect Polish, Ukrainian, Austrian and Russian history?

A lot, now polish become a new ethnic group more united than being divided with Ukranian/ruthenian and would give them a voice later on.

 

[Vistulian]

And how about Ukrainians that stayed in Austrian empire? Would Austrian Lesserpoles or Austrian themselves try to 'divide and impera' and named them (Lemko, Boyko, Hutsul, Sjan and Trans-Carpatian Rusyns/Ukrainians) as a new nations, let say Subcarpatian Rusyns or something like that?

 

[Vistulian]

"After the Congress of Vienna, along with the greater part of the Duchy, Zagłębie became part of the Russian-controlled Kingdom of Poland. Simultaneously, in both Upper Silesia and neighbouring Zagłębie, large deposits of coal were discovered. With the opening of the Warsaw–Vienna railway in 1848, the region became the most industrialised part of the Kingdom. Despite developing simultaneously with adjacent Silesia, the region remained outside of German influence and remained largely Polish, a fact that is still a source of a certain animosity between the Silesians and the Zagłębiacy, natives of Zagłębie. Zagłębie is sometimes called "Red", because of its Socialist or Communist traditions (it was one of main centers of the Revolution in the Kingdom of Poland (1905–07)), while Silesia is more conservative and religious. "

Dąbrowa Basin - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So, under Austrian rule, probably people from Dąbrowa Basin / Neuschliessien wuld be more germanised (like their neighbours from Prussia) and more conservative.

Congress Poland without coal would be more poorer, which could cause earlier and more bloodier uprisings.

How additional western land, closer to Prussia and rich in coal could affect Austro-Prussian war of 1866?

 

[Nivek]

Congress Poland without coal would be more poorer, which could cause earlier and more bloodier uprisings.

And would be crushed as OTL, as Russia did was on their 'gendarme of europe' position.

How additional western land, closer to Prussia and rich in coal could affect Austro-Prussian war of 1866?

Not that much, both side have similar strenght, was doctrine and leadership that give Prussia the edge, plus bismarck didn't want annexation of Austria, even clashing with Wilhelm I over it