Late Grossdeutschland

German nationalists in the first half of the 19th century were divided between a Kleindeutschland ideal of a Germany including all of the OTL German Empire plus the German lands of Austria-Hungary, and a Grossdeutschland ideal in which all of the Austrian Empire was included. 1848 and the turn from Austria to Austria-Hungary made that much more difficult, but here's the challenge, or question: is it possible to make that idea a reality, so that a large German state with the Austrian Emperor with as much or only slightly diminished power over the other German states as the German Emperor had in OTL can be formed that still includes the whole of the Austro-Hungarian Empire? What would need to occur for that to happen?
 
German nationalists in the first half of the 19th century were divided between a Kleindeutschland ideal of a Germany including all of the OTL German Empire plus the German lands of Austria-Hungary, and a Grossdeutschland ideal in which all of the Austrian Empire was included. 1848 and the turn from Austria to Austria-Hungary made that much more difficult, but here's the challenge, or question: is it possible to make that idea a reality, so that a large German state with the Austrian Emperor with as much or only slightly diminished power over the other German states as the German Emperor had in OTL can be formed that still includes the whole of the Austro-Hungarian Empire? What would need to occur for that to happen?


The only likely way is a decisive defeat of Prussia by Austria, either in 1866 (we have a thread going about that) or perhaps in 1850 had war broken out then.

It's also possible to get Franz Josef as Emperor of Germany if Bismarck disappears and King Wilhelm attends the Congress of Princes in 1863. However, FJ would have to cut Prussia in on the deal, giving her a much larger share of power than Bavaria would have in Bismarck's Reich.
 
The OP's not quite right, actually.

Kleindeutschland is what we got OTL, that is, the smaller German states under the leadership of Prussia united in the form of the German Empire.

Großdeutschland would be a Germany including Austria proper and Bohemia; while this might force an Austrian leadership, it's certainly possible to get a Großdeutschland under Prussian leadership, or a decentralised or centralised one after a successful 1848. You can even get that later on, if Austria/Hungary/Galicia ever split and Austria is absorbed into the German Empire.

Großösterreich would be a Germany including all Habsburg possessions under Austrian leadership. It was to my knowledge not a feasible idea even when it was proposed (in 1849).
 

Typo

Banned
Lesser Germany, Greater Germany, and of course Greatest possible Germany.

Germany really cares about size!
 
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