La Triplice - Or Italy in the Central Powers

Uber-Magyarorszag is always a good sign in a timeline!

 

Everyone should love a big, great, fat Hungary.

 

Crowd outside goverment buildings in Prague. Some months after the indipendence of Austria from the Double Monarchy, Bohemia followed.
On the monument members of the Bohemian diet are proclaming the secession from Duoble Monarchy
LA TRIPLICE: N.3 (Anno X - 11/1953) - LA CADUTA DELL'AQUILA BICIPITE(The fall of doubleheaded eagle)

25/02/1919: Prague was more discontent than Wien, and Czecks were more suffering than Austrians.
Secretly in contact with Italians (and perhaps with Germans, also if unproved), the administration of Bohemia-Moravia shaken by the hard war they fought (for they Wien Masters, as they said) was shocked to learn that a republic was proclaimed in Wien and that Hungary refused to mobilize to restored the Hapsburgs(Hungary, anyhow, was happy to have Karl as they apostolic king, but because tensions were rising with Italy, was not happy to divert forces from Adriatic theater). so panicked.
Tomas Masaryk, retuned in 1917 from his exile from England, promptly took the matter in his hands.
He delivered a speech (although he was not a member of the diet), he undestood that the only possibility for freedom was the incipient caos and forced the diet to agree with him.
Leaving the costitutional status of Bohemia for the future, the Diet proclaimed the indipence from Wien and deposed Karl as their king.

 

LA TRIPLICE: N.3 (Anno X - 11/1953) - LA CADUTA DELL'AQUILA BICIPITE(The fall of doubleheaded eagle)

People in Troppau main square, around Bohemian official, in fall of 1919.

When Bohemia proclaimed the independence from the double monarchy, the german speaking minority in Sudetenland felt unprotected and feared for its culture and safety.

(This, altrough Masaryk promised to protect the rights of the Germans)

So, in that same year, German delegates to Bohemia Diet met in Troppau.
Social democrats had a bigger rapresentation, but pangermanic party was close second, along with liberals.
When Prague asked for obedience, Troppau could not refuse, but neither they wanted accepted the new government.
The new Bohemia army entered in the city with an armed division, officials dictating conditions in the Main Square, the Sudetenland Parliament took its own decision...to be continued.

 

LA TRIPLICE: N.3 (Anno X - 11/1953) - LA CADUTA DELL'AQUILA BICIPITE(The fall of doubleheaded eagle)

The flag of the republic of the Sudetenland, as instituted in December of 1919.


Rudolf Lodgman von Auen, first and last president of the Sudetenland Republic (then chancellor of the Sudetenland principality
Rudolf Lodgman von Auen was nominated president of the Sudetenland by a majority vote thanks to the support of part of Liberals and Social-democrats.
Sworn in office, the first act of the government was calling the german Reich to invade Sudetenland to defend the german minority

 

Thicc Hungary.

 

LA TRIPLICE: N.3 (Anno X - 11/1953) - LA CADUTA DELL'AQUILA BICIPITE(The fall of doubleheaded eagle)

The short lived Bohemian Republic border police waits, powerless, for german troops to March in Sudetenland.

The provisional Sudetenland government asked Germany for intervention.
The reichstag was, at first doubtful about a military expedition, just because the army was involved against Austria; but a risk of Communist uprising in Prague (at least this was claimed by military secret service in 1919).
So December 1919, Erich Ludendorf and VIII army, was ordered to take Reichenberg and than to move in Prague.

German soldiers of the VIII Army in Prague Christmas 1919.
Bohemia, freshly indipendent, could not match the power of Germany and Masaryk, become president of the republic, decided to submit, but asked to Berlin guarantees about autonomy of Bohemia and rights of Czechs people.

 

LA TRIPLICE: N.3 (Anno X - 11/1953) - LA CADUTA DELL'AQUILA BICIPITE(The fall of doubleheaded eagle)

Keiser Karl arrives in Budapest, greeted by Hungarian government and officials (1921)

With the collapse of the Austrian part of the double monarchy, Keiser Karl was forced to leave Wien to avoid capture by the revolutionaries.

Fleeing in Budapest he was Welcomed by Rakovszky, Premier of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Along the Emperor his wife Zita

 

LA TRIPLICE: N.3 (Anno X - 11/1953) - LA CADUTA DELL'AQUILA BICIPITE(The fall of doubleheaded eagle)

The family of Pietro Ferdinando Von Habsburg-Lotharingen.
The new Austrian Archduke of Austria. Crowned in 25 December 1922.

Quelled the Soviet revolt, the German Army preceded to occupy Wien.
While Prague was very happy to shake off the Habsburg rule, Austria seemed less likely to do the same.
The German Reichstag, however, and the Keiser would been happy to annex Austria, and they urged Wien Reichstag to start an union agreement.
Karl, now King IV of Hungary, asked to be returned on the throne, but was Hungary that protested. Budapest wanted an Habsburg on the throne, but only if he ruled over Hungary alone.
Karl Renner, proposed to admit Austria as a German state with a republican constitution like the Hanseatic city states, but Prussian militaries feared a republican contagion and so supported the member of opposition Michale Mayer that become the new austrian chancellor
He, immediately, stated the union bill and asked for a referendum to put an Habsburg on Archdukedom throne.
The referendum was won by "yes", by an embarrassing majority.
And the new Archduke become Peter Ferdinand Von Habsburg-Lotharingen, heir to the Grandukedom of Tuscany.
Austria was annexed by Germany as a new Lander.

 

LA TRIPLICE: N.3 (Anno X - 11/1953) - LA CADUTA DELL'AQUILA BICIPITE(The fall of doubleheaded eagle)

Mikols Horthy enters in Budapest with the National Army - 16/9/1919

While Italy, with the blessing of Germany, was taking the cities of Istria and the Dalmatian coast, the Admiral Horthy called for a national forum to defend the Saint Stephen lands.
King Charles was worried by the admiral, but the menace of Italian armies moving toward Zagreb was more strong than the constitutional doubts about a reactionary leader parading in the capital.
Charles, also, was very upset by roumanian revolts in Transylvania and Bela Kun comunists that were controlling the parliament.
So, sadly, he accepted to meet Horthy seven days later.