Indivisibiliter ac Inseparabiliter- An AH of Austria-Hungary

First of all, the title is actually the motto of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it stands for "Indivisible and inseparable" (LOL:D).

So I got very interested in Austria-Hungary in the past few days and the only way to quell that is to write a TL (Literally an AH of A-H). Austria-Hungary was a very large, very populous country (in contrast with much of Europe), and was very ethnically diverse (a little too much so). It had one of the fastest growing economies and was home to one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe but it all went crazy after Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. Along with staunch nationalism and terrible mismanagement, Austria-Hungary didn't stand a chance and collapsed. But had there been drastic changes made during the "Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867", Austrian, European, and World history would be very different.

And that's why, I've chosen my POD as a very different...
Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867- also called the Ausgleich in German and the Kiegyezés in Hungarian was the birth of a great nation, The Austro-Hungarian Empire. Hungarian statesman, Ferenc Deak was the driving force behind the compromise and fully cooperated with the Habsburgs who knew that the compromise was the only way to keep their monarchy from collapsing. Only a few Hungarian nobles were consulted and the Slavs were left out altogether but this caused large scale violence and dissatisfaction as minority groups didn't get what they wanted. So to reach an agreement, Austrians and Hungarian Nobles along with leaders representing several minority groups, meet in Vienna. They reach a solution to create a congressional system wherein every hereditary region of the Empire (mostly based of ethnic divisions) were represented in a federal congress. This sort of federalistic monarchy ensured that every ethnic group could be equally represented. The Habsburgs readily accepted the idea because they opposed nationalism. The new Federal Constitutional Monarchy's Constitution ensured equal rights to every citizen regardless of ethnicity or religion (even though Roman Catholicism would remain the state religion). Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria sought to rename the country to fit the demands of the different ethnic groups, so he called a congressional meeting in Budapest (the other capital of Austria-Hungary, product of the cities of Buda and Pest). The federal congress (Bundeskongress) renamed the country, "The Kingdom of the United Crowns of St. Leopold (Austria), St. Wenceslaus (Bohemia), St. Stephen (Hungary), and Tomislav (Croatia, Slovenia). However, the name is painfully long so is mostly called UC or the United Crowns. The country would completely federalize to meet the meets of the ethnic groups (as UC is extremely diverse)by 1869. Now the nation has to strengthen econmically to ensure its status as a global power.

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Map of The Kingdom of the United Crowns of St. Leopold, St. Wenceslaus, St. Stephen, and Tomislav.

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Very preliminary flag of the Kingdom (I made a new one but I can't use it until after some updates)

Note: The idea about the federalized government came from this post- https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showpost.php?p=6675213&postcount=19

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Government of The UC

The Government structure of the UC was very unique. The Kingdom was under control of King Franz Joseph I (who was admired throughout the Kingdom). Then there was the congressional system made up of a single group of delegates who met in either Vienna or Budapest to solve any concerning situation. Each state had their own ruling class, all under control of the Habsburgs (who have protected themselves from collapsing). Each state made their own decisions in parliament, however Franz I has power over them and can veto decisions made by state or kingdom.

_original


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Parliament buildings in Vienna and Budapest respectively, this is where delegates met.

There was a great deal of controversy on the capital of the Kingdom. However, Vienna and Budapest were allowed to coexist as the capitals as removal of any of the two would cause even more controversy.
 
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The Bosnia and Herzegovina Campaign

The kingdom's stability and peace allows for peaceful occupation and annexation of the surrounding areas. One such area that would succumb to the expansion was Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the Treaty of Berlin, written after The Congress of Berlin after the Russo-Turkish War, gave the UC full control of Bosnia and Herzegovina (In OTL, the Ottomans still had sovereignty over the area but it was ceded to Austria Hungary). UC troops occupy the territory, driving out Ottoman troops from the area. However this was not easy as the UC troops led an assault on the Ottoman troops. Heavily outnumbered (80,000>40,000), Ottoman troops surrender and return home. The defeat destroyed the relations between the UC and the Ottoman Empire, leading to its eventual downfall. Many dissidents leave Bosnia and Herzegovina to go to Ottoman ruled areas, so to prevent this, Bosnia and Herzegovina were immediately annexed to get state rights. Nationalism greatly reduced with the decision, but there was still unrest. With the annexation, many called for a new national flag for the Kingdom as the previous one centered on Austria-Hungary (the strongest cries were from Bohemia). A design competition was announced and a winner was declared

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The colors represent courage, valor, hardiness, the agriculture industry, peace, purity, innocence, the mountainous geography, wealth, justice, determination, and ethnic heritage. There are 16 spikes representing the 15 states of the Kingdom, the 4 larger ones represent the 4 crowns. The crown in the middle is that of the Habsburgs.

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Nice TL, I always found the United States of Greater Austria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_Greater_Austria) an interesting possibility to avoid AH collapse.

A few questions however:
Why is it a Kingdom and not an Empire? I find it hard to belive that the Habsbourg monarchy would accept such a loss in status.

Regarding the name, why not the United States of the Danube with a Kaiser at its head? This would remove the reference to Austria, thus pleasing the minorities, while keeping the Emperor status, which could content the German part. :)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to following this. :)
 
Nice TL, I always found the United States of Greater Austria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_Greater_Austria) an interesting possibility to avoid AH collapse.

A few questions however:
Why is it a Kingdom and not an Empire? I find it hard to belive that the Habsbourg monarchy would accept such a loss in status.

Regarding the name, why not the United States of the Danube with a Kaiser at its head? This would remove the reference to Austria, thus pleasing the minorities, while keeping the Emperor status, which could content the German part. :)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to following this. :)

Thanks. And the reason they're not an empire is because an Empire a group of nations under a single ruler, this is one nation now. Empires are very unstable and often collapse, so I tried to create a more stable Kingdom instead of an Empire. Regarding the name change, they really need one so I'm gonna keep your's in mind.
 
Map and First Census

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The first census taken in 1870 showed a population of 35,643,858 (not including Bosnia and Herzegovina) and was very ethnically homogeneous.

Religion: 67.2% Roman Catholic (Even though the Constitution granted Freedom of Religion, Roman Catholicism was maintained as the state religion)
11% Greek Catholic
0.02% Armenian Catholic
3.8% Lutheran
0.02% Unitarian
0.01% Other Christian
3.8% Jewish
0.001 Non Christian

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Hungarian nobility, a contributor to the downfall of the empire, has their power greatly reduced by the congressional system but they get what they want so they have little to complain about.

Um, no, they cannot possibly lose more. The Hungarian elites are losing influence over half their land; the Hungarian province is now smaller than the one that existed from 1816-1867 (and no. #12 of the so-called "12 points" programme of the 1848 revolution was "Union with Transylvania"). This is a disaster for the Hungarian elite and they would fight tooth and nail, or at least become clearly insubordinate and turn to sabotage wherever they can.

OTL's Ausgleich was predicated on Deák turning the Hungarians into the Austrians' loyal bulldog in exchange for being allowed to oppress the other, even smaller ethnicities in Transleithenia. (Bizarrely, this servile policy of his earned him the moniker "the wise man of the nation".) If this happens, I expect there to be a lot of conflict between the Hungarians and everyone else. Maybe they don't have the strength to ignite another civil war, but they are going to become a permanent fifth column for anyone who promises to recognize their claim over the Lands of "St." Stephen.
 

RavenMM

Banned
Thanks. And the reason they're not an empire is because an Empire a group of nations under a single ruler, this is one nation now. Empires are very unstable and often collapse, so I tried to create a more stable Kingdom instead of an Empire. Regarding the name change, they really need one so I'm gonna keep your's in mind.

Well, there were the british, the russian and the french empire at that time and all looked pretty strong. I don't think the Habsburg would just let such a title slip. Especially if they later use the imperial crown on their flag.

The first census taken in 1870 showed a population of 35,643,858 (not including Bosnia and Herzegovina) and was very ethnically homogeneous.

Religion: 67.2% Roman Catholic (Even though the Constitution granted Freedom of Religion, Roman Catholicism was maintained as the state religion)
11% Greek Catholic
0.02% Armenian Catholic
3.8% Lutheran
0.02% Unitarian
0.01% Other Christian
3.8% Jewish
0.001 Non Christian

that's roughly 90%, what religion do the other 10% have?


otherwise, I'll always like an AH of A-H, so please continue!
 
Well, there were the british, the russian and the french empire at that time and all looked pretty strong. I don't think the Habsburg would just let such a title slip. Especially if they later use the imperial crown on their flag.



that's roughly 90%, what religion do the other 10% have?


otherwise, I'll always like an AH of A-H, so please continue!

Well, I must rephrase that. They all had periods of stability (including Austria Hungary) but collapsed eventually, either because they were too big, defeat in war, or ethnic tensions. The Habsburgs initially made the compromise to keep their empire from falling, paying little attention to ethnic groups. Had they not suppressed nationalist movements but instead tried to create stability, it would have turned out better for all. Remeber that the Habsurgs still have higher power than the states. But Kingdoms tend to be better off than empire (some at least). About the Religions, I'm sorry about that. I used this (http://www.econlib.org/library/YPDBooks/Lalor/LF-BK0216-01-0167-t0001.gif) which left out some parts of the empire. Historical censuses are very inaccurate. I'd assume they left out some groups. The censuses of 1900 and 1910 are more accurate. Thanks for reading:D
 
The Habsburgs reforming does not preclude them from using the title "Empire of Austria". At this point nothing will get the Habsburgs to willingly surrender that title unless they immediately replace it with a different Imperial Title.
And I have to admit "Empire of Danubia" does have a certain ring to it.

You have to remember that in this time period "Empire" is not a specific style of government, as demonstrated by the fact that all of the "Empires" of the day had different, sometimes wildly so, systems of governance.

It is a Rank.

No one, but especially not the Habsburgs, would willingly allow themselves to be demoted from Emperor without a fight.
 
Economy of the UC

The economic changes under the new country were apparent. The adoption of the capitalist economy replaced the previous traces of feudalism. The technological advancements greatly increased industrialization and urbanization. Economic growth and industries centered in Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. To prevent economic growth from being so centralized, states began implementing intensive agricultural methods such as the combine harvester, steam powered threshers, and tractors. This growth resulted in the GDP to be one of the fastest growing in the World, swiftly filling the gap between the UC and other European nations. The National Bank of the Crowns, established in 1871, supplied credit and investment funds and financially linked the Western and Eastern parts (the western part adopted industries, banks, and manufacturing while the Eastern remained the agricultural center). The government also heavily invested in railroads so by 1900 they would have the largest and best rail networks in Europe. The modernization led to an increase in trade, employment, and quality of life.

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Map showing agricultural regions in the country
 
The Revolution

After research and convincing arguments, here is my attempt to try and correct the political situation of the empire (thanks to those who pointed it out)

The Revolution describes a period of time in the country from 1873-74 in which changed it politically and dynamically. From the creation of the Kingdom, members of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, argued that the status of the Habsburgs had been lowered and that they were going to be replaced by another royal dynasty. Members of the Hungarian nobility cried out in support of the Habsburgs as they sociopolitical status had been nearly destroyed. Franz Joseph I, the reigning monarch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, had vicious claims made against him by his own dynasty and the Magyars which endangered his nearly stainless political career. Some claims stated that he created a new dynasty and tried to get them to power by stabbing the Habsburgs in the back. The Habsburgs called for a return to an empire and the Hungarian elite want more influence over their hereditary land. Franz himself, loyal to the Habsburgs, wanted more power to carefully make decisions for the country. Protests and even riots break out in support for the Habsburgs and the Hungarian nobles. Franz, frightened that the Kingdom is breaking, calls for a congressional session in Budapest to resolve this ever growing situation. The delegates are a mix of Hungarian nobles, Habsburgs, and delegates from the other states of the country. After a grueling debate on all sides, an agreement is reached that seemingly pleases all sides.

The stipulations of "The Danubian Compromise of 1874" are as follows:
  1. Austria-Hungary would return to an Empire under the name of "The Empire of Danubia" or "The Danubian Empire" and Franz Joseph I would be crowned Emperor
  2. The Habsburgs would remain the ruling dynasty of the Empire and all monarchs must be of the Habsburg Dynasty
  3. Hungarian Nobility would gain some control over their hereditary lands (Hungary, Transylvania, Vojvodnia, Seklerland, and some parts of Slovakia, East and West Galicia) which will be in their sphere of influence, but they will remain under control of their respective hereditary dynasties and will remain autonomous to prevent ethnic tensions
  4. The two capitals would remain Vienna and Budapest and they would be of equal importance to the Empire
  5. Slavic states would remain autonomous from the Austrian and Hungarian spheres of influence and will be controlled by their hereditary dynasties but under the rule of the Habsburgs and Emperor Franz Joseph I
  6. Every ruling dynasty of the empire would have Habsburg influence and would add Habsburg- in front of their name (ie: House of Habsburg-Lorraine)
  7. All states of the great Empire of the Danube will be under the general rule of the Habsburgs and Emporer Franz Joseph I
  8. The Flag of the Empire would remain the same

The people of their respective states and dynasties took time to adjust to the new rules and constitution but tensions had been greatly lowered. Emperor Franz Joseph I would be greatly admired for his handling of the situation that some say could have divided the empire. Bosnians for one, were very happy about their autonomy and heartily accepted the compromise. One of the most important results of the compromise was that the states of the empire rejected nationalism and became loyal to Emperor Franz Joseph I

(This is my amateur attempt to try and fix a mistake so I will readily accept any constructive criticism)
 
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Second Industrial Revolution

The new industrial revolution brought long term prosperity to the country. Danubia began mass producing iron and steel creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and exporting tonnes of iron, bringing in millions. Danubia's locomotive industry was one of the largest in the world, helping Danubia become the 4th largest manufacturer in the world. Danubia's GDP had grown to over 16 billion USD or around 15.8 billion Danubian Gulden. The railway industry expanded to other European countries, linking the largest and grandest cities together. The trains were faster, longer, and more productive which caused railroads to become the dominant form of transportation. The Opera House in Vienna and the one in Budapest were electrified in the early 1880's. Later, an initiative to electrify a small town in Transylvania called Sighet would be marginally successful (they would fail a few hours later) but it would be a turning point in the development of electricity. Innovations in chemicals and medicine bring chemists and doctors to the country to take advantage of the expanding industry. The most important developments were in the maritime industry, since both major cities are inland, port cities such as Trieste grow in power and population. Larger, more durable, and more productive ships were created increasing trade between Danubia and other European countries (mostly Germany). As for the agriculture industry, innovations in fertilizer and mechanized harvesting increased production (mostly in the southeastern parts of them empire), empowering farmers and the industry in general. All of these factors led to larger migration into the country and far fewer emigration from the country.

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Vienna in the late 1870's and early 1880's

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Budapest in the late 1870's and early 1880's
 
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Sounds better, yeah. Since this TL is quite close to home, so to speak, I'll follow with all the more interest. Anything involving A-H or its successors interests me, really, no matter what ideological path it takes.
 
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