No Ausgleich in 1867

What would happen to the Hapsburg Empire if they failed to make the Ausgleich in 1867?

They still lost the 1859 and 1866 wars - i dont want a POD there.

You can have either the hungarians refuse which i think is easier or the Habsburgs. This i think is more unlikely because any other stabilizing solution would be even less to Franz Joseph liking.

How long could absolutism continue? What alternate solution might they try?

I want to add that from the hungarian side the Ausgleich was the absolute minimum they were willing to accept at the time. We are dealing with people still dreaming about the liberties they briefly acquired in 1848-49. And they absolutly refuse to acknowlidge the destruction of their state - what a truly centralised empire would mean. In their mind Hungary has been an independent kingdom since a millenia that just happened to be ruled by the Habsburgs for the last few centuries - and i have to add that from legal percpective they are mostly right. They would absolutly refuse to send delegates to a joint imperial parlaiment.
 
How long could absolutism continue? What alternate solution might they try?

Well I mean they could just go all out and crush those nobles who joined up. Not really hard. I imagine many Hungarian peasant who were far more loyal to the Habsburgs, would be delighted at land reform that could follow from it since after all those who rebelled committed what amounts to treason. That or they could just introduce universal sufferage and those rebels will sit there and watch as the vast majority of the working populace votes Empire.

Edit:

This probably what is necessary to be honest. Franz being a staunch conservative imho didn't have the stomach to launch the reforms needed to fully crush the magnates once and for all and opted for a compromise that just sucked in general
 
The problem is that there was a huge landreform in 1848. The nobility gave up a lot of its privilages from its own will. There remained huge holding in the hands of the magnates but at the time it was the hungarian aristocracy who gave them land. This was one of the reson the hungarian revolution could last so long - the peasnt fought for their newly received parcels. They wont turn on the magnates so fast.

Another thing is it was the peasantry who fought in the revolution that had to bear a lot of the brutal punishment delt by the Habsburg. Plus the whole revolution was a huge boost to their nationalism.

So i wouldnt expect the peasantry to turn against the nobility at this point.
 
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