Challenge: Entirety of Austrian Empire incorporated into Germany

[Deleted member 93645]

How could all of the Austrian Empire, including Hungary, Galich, and Croatia, be incorporated into Germany some time in the 19th century?

Could Hungarians become seen as Germans, or vice versa (since, for example, Nietzsche was proud to be descended from the Polish)?

Could Germany pre-1930 be a civic nation state, instead of an ethnic nation state?

 

[Gwrtheyrn Annwn]

How could all of the Austrian Empire, including Hungary, Galich, and Croatia, be incorporated into Germany some time in the 19th century?

Could Hungarians become seen as Germans, or vice versa (since, for example, Nietzsche was proud to be descended from the Polish)?

Could Germany pre-1930 be a civic nation state, instead of an ethnic nation state?

The closest that you would get to this would a harsher peace after the Austro-Prussian War, crippling Austria. This could make the Hungarians rebel and Austro-Hungary split. This would get you to all of German Austria in Germany. I'm not sure how you would go one further an have Hungary, etc. part of Germany. Perhaps some kind of Austro-Prussian Union that then unifies Germany by force?
I think, given the ethnic differences, that your challenge is near-on impossible.

 

[Westphalian]

That would be Großösterreich, ie the Schwarzenberg plan.

You just need a much more stubborn and deluded Prussian court that believes it can actually win if the German Autumn Crisis of 1850 leads to war. So when Bavarian troops enter Hesse-Cassel, the Prussians decide to fight. In that period, Prussia will be beaten down by an Austrian, Federal-German and Russian intervention. The UK would not intervene, and it comes down to the question what France will do.

President Bonaparte has already offered his support for Prussia if he gets the Bavarian Palatinate as compensation, but Prussia has declined. The Prussian role was, after all, the pretend-champion of the (extremely watered down) German Parliament against the Austrian-led monarchical Confederal Diet. Selling a German province to France in exchange for military support would look very bad.

Perhaps that is the PoD. Prussia/FW4/Radowitz ignores public opinion, has a secret agreement with France and feels secure enough to carry on against Bavaria. I have the strong suspision that France would not honor that agreement to the degree our deluded Prussians would hope for. The French Republic of 1850 is not yet the French Empire of 1854 and the power projection of Austria and Russia combined into Central germany is too strong.

When the dust settles, surprisingly few shots have been fired. The UK has acted as mediator. Prussia stays intact beyond come minor losses along the border of Posen (to Russia), Silesia (to Austria) and the Mosel-Saar area (to Bavaria), but it is forced to re-enter the German Confederation, this time under clear Austrian hegemony. Which includes the Austrian Gesamtstaat.

In other words, this demography:

 

[lukedalton]

When the dust settles, surprisingly few shots have been fired. The UK has acted as mediator. Prussia stays intact beyond come minor losses along the border of Posen (to Russia), Silesia (to Austria) and the Mosel-Saar area (to Bavaria), but it is forced to re-enter the German Confederation, this time under clear Austrian hegemony. Which includes the Austrian Gesamtstaat.

I don't know if both France and the UK will be extremely happy with the enormous black blot that cover half of the continent and will stay out of the crisis or act just as mediator.

 

[Westphalian]

An interesting variant:
Of the Hohenzollern domains, most of them re-emter the Austrian-led German Bund. That means, form west to east, Hoh, Rhi, Wes, Sax, Bra, Pom and Sil.
Meanwhile, the provinces of Preußen and Posen stay outside the German Bund, under the rule of the Hohenzollern king, but at the same time under Russian protectorship: Russian troops have the right to enter them "to pursue and fight Polish revolutionaries" and to garisson key places, while Russian merchants can freely use the ports of Memel and Danzig.

 

[Westphalian]

I don't know if both France and the UK will be extremely happy with the enormous black blot that cover half of the continent and will stay out of the crisis or act just as mediator.

They will not exactly be happy, but if it is sold as continuation of the older Holy Alliance and Russia is clearly supporting Austri and the German kings and most princes, then I don't think there will a war in 1850/51 with British or much French participation.

A few years later, when FJ is no longer happy with the Russian bear breathing down his neck, and Russia itself feeling adventurous vs. the Ottomans, much can change.

But Prussia will still be severely embarrassed and weakend.