Austro-Hungarian War aims

So, we know quite a bit about German war aims in WWI, a fair amount about French, Russian, and Turkish war aims, and a bit about British war aims. So, what were the aims of the Dual Monarchy? After all, they did start it. Other then Serbia, and maybe bits of the Balkans, what would the Austro-Hungarians get out of a CP victory?
 

maverick

Banned
Spheres of influence, nothing else...

I've heard elsewhere in the site that Austria-Hungarian leadership had abandoned all territorial ambitions before the war due to practical reasons, But I can't be sure if that's true...

In any case, both the Germanic and Magyar populations are gonna oppose the annexation of majoritarily slavic lands, even if the Parliament was closed since 1913, they just weren't going to allow the entrance of more trouble-making, freedom-loving slavs...not the proto-nazi pangermanics of Vienna, not the agrarian aristocratic oligarchy of Hungary, not the traditionalists of either side...

So, Economic and political sphere of influence over the Balkans, perhaps a Habsburg King in Poland...that's the typical...annexation of Montenegro? anything else is likely to led to civil war and collapse...
 
I seem to recall reading that there were factions in the Empire who wanted to annex Albania.

But I have to agree that massive territorial gains aren't really wanted by the Empire at this point (certainly not Serbia)- I believe they did want some border adjustments on the border between Transylvania and Romania, that would give them control of the mountain passes. Border adjustments on a similar vein (defensiveness) could be possible elsewhere as well.
 
Spheres of influence, nothing else...

I've heard elsewhere in the site that Austria-Hungarian leadership had abandoned all territorial ambitions before the war due to practical reasons, But I can't be sure if that's true...

In any case, both the Germanic and Magyar populations are gonna oppose the annexation of majoritarily slavic lands, even if the Parliament was closed since 1913, they just weren't going to allow the entrance of more trouble-making, freedom-loving slavs...not the proto-nazi pangermanics of Vienna, not the agrarian aristocratic oligarchy of Hungary, not the traditionalists of either side...

So, Economic and political sphere of influence over the Balkans, perhaps a Habsburg King in Poland...that's the typical...annexation of Montenegro? anything else is likely to led to civil war and collapse...

I'd buy it, economic and political dominion in the Balkans, and a nice smashing victory or two or three to shore up support for the monarchy and union at home.
 
A few things I've read in various sources:

-Despite wanting to crush Serbia and its Balkan allies Austria-Hungary didn't actually want to annex much of their territory, the empire had too many rebellious Slavs already. They may have taken Montenegro's Adriatic coastline however to deny its enemies any access to the sea and maybe some other minor amounts of strategically valuable territory. Serbia and Montenegro would otherwise have just been forced to become satellite states, with Austria-Hungary's ally Bulgaria taking a much larger chunk of Serbia.

-Annex some minor amount of strategically valuable territory from Romania, with Bulgaria again taking a larger slice.

-establish a protectorate over Albania or force it to become a satellite state as well

-establish Habsburg rule over Poland. Making Poland either an independent state with an Austrian monarch, or actually combining Russian Poland with some Galician areas to create a kingdom in personal union with Austria thereby turning Austria-Hungary into Austria-Hungary-Poland.
 
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Wow...millions of men and women died because Austria-Hungary wanted some minor territorial adjustments. That's just depressing.

Yes, I know it's not that simplistic, but still.
 

Thande

Donor
-establish Habsburg rule over Poland. Making Poland either an independent state with an Austrian monarch, or actually combining Russian Poland with some Galician areas to create a kingdom in personal union with Austria thereby turning Austria-Hungary into Austria-Hungary-Poland.

1) is a possibility, because a Hapsburg Poland could still be strongly influenced by Germany, but I don't think Germany would allow the second.
 
Just out of curiosity, if the war had been the limited one AH wanted, just them V Serbia, how would they have done? IOTL, they ran into ridiculous trouble even taking Belgrade, but most of their troops were fighting Russia. Even if they'd had to leave some men to protect Galicia, how would they have done on their own?
 
1) is a possibility, because a Hapsburg Poland could still be strongly influenced by Germany, but I don't think Germany would allow the second.

Uptil 1916 that was the rough plan; with special clauses for German "economic" interests. After 1915 A-H was having such a rough time of it that the Germans were able to push for a more German solution to the Polish issue.

Michael
 
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