Is it possible for the Habsburgs to give the Poles in Silesia and Romanians in Transylvania equal rights like they do with the Czechs, Magyars, Croats and Germans?
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Is it possible for the Habsburgs to give the Poles in Silesia and Romanians in Transylvania equal rights like they do with the Czechs, Magyars, Croats and Germans?
Is it possible for the Habsburgs to give the Poles in Silesia and Romanians in Transylvania equal rights like they do with the Czechs, Magyars, Croats and Germans?
What time period are you talking about? (Yeah, that seems to be my standard question). Usually rights weren't so much determined by language but in what territory you lived in and maybe if you lived in a city (with city rights) or not.
If you get to this later phase were nationalism is a thing, Poles were among the most loyal subjects because they did have more rights. No idea about Romanians, but since they mostly lived in the part that at one point become Hungary (of the A-H Empire) I assume that they weren't that privileged.
I have to admit, 16th century isn't one of my strong points. And what I know, a bit of the Bauernkriege and the like, certainly doesn't focus on those areas.
But I still have to ask, aren't you projecting the nationality question back? That was something that cropped up with the enlightment some time later.
I do know that Bohemia and Moravia were troublesome when it came to religious questions for quite a while. And from what I know those things trenscended language barriers fairly easily. So are you certain that the polish speakers in Sliesia were good god fearing catholics and not affected by heretic preachers (to borrow some not so neutral language)? Also, wasn't there some Swedish-protestant effort at the time to covert Poland?
Also: if they all were catholic they would have been by default already prefered to non-catholics. Adding preference by language would just add another layer to this, leading more non-polish speaking people towards other religions.
I think that if they were less privileged compared to others in the same region, then it probably wasn't Habsburg policy, but the descision of local rulers.
Correct me if I got something there wrong. As said, it's not something I know that much about. Though the religions conflics in central Europe of the 13-16th century are on my to read list.