WI: Hungarian Empire (like the German) possible?

If AH would have split up during the 19th century, is it possible for the Hungarian half to become an Empire like the German? This means, there is the Prussian equivalent (proper Hungary) confederated with lesser kingdoms and duchies (Slovakia, Croatia, Banat etc etc)?

Do you think this could have worked?
 
A POD would most likely be the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 succeeding and Hungary becoming independent, but i doubt about the other areas like Slovakia joining them willingly as they were very different cultures.
 
In the 19th century, no. I am not a fan of 19th century Hungary and its prospects as an independent state.

I have wondered whether they could have achieved a personal union with Austria under an earlier compromise in 1849 when they did try to negotiate with Vienna. In return, they agree to a tight economic, military and diplomatic alliance with Austria as well as the complete autonomy of Croatia.

Russian incursions into the Balkans and the rising states of Serbia and Romania would most likely send Hungary closer and closer into an integration with Vienna.

Perhaps it ends up looking a lot like the 1867 Compromise after a short period of time.
 
A POD would most likely be the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 succeeding and Hungary becoming independent, but i doubt about the other areas like Slovakia joining them willingly as they were very different cultures.

In the 19th century, no. I am not a fan of 19th century Hungary and its prospects as an independent state.

I have wondered whether they could have achieved a personal union with Austria under an earlier compromise in 1849 when they did try to negotiate with Vienna. In return, they agree to a tight economic, military and diplomatic alliance with Austria as well as the complete autonomy of Croatia.

Russian incursions into the Balkans and the rising states of Serbia and Romania would most likely send Hungary closer and closer into an integration with Vienna.

Perhaps it ends up looking a lot like the 1867 Compromise after a short period of time.

My question is not about chances for Hungary to be independent. The question is: given an independent Hungary (likely or not), is it realistic to become an Empire like the German (with minorities forming free states inside) or would stay as a unitarian Kingdom?
 
The chances of statehood much less empire are dim in my view. Hungary was already pretty much a "race war" waiting to happen and that actually did happen in 1848-1849. Sorry.
 
It's a bit more complicated than that. The Hungarian revolution was at first met with cautious support from ethnic minorities, if for no other reason then because Kossuth's program involved abolishing serfdom.

Then the Hungarian leadership took an explicitly and inflexibly unitarist role, refusing to address demands for language-rights and self-government by the Serbs, Slovaks, Romanians etc. Austria exploited the conflict and drew them to her side with a much better set of promises (of course, later it betrayed most of those promises).

So had revolutionary Hungary been more willing to grant strong cultural autonomy for minorities and at least consider a federal solution, it would have had a much better chance of staying independent.
(and that's not impossible - after all, Kossuth regretted not coming to an agreement with the Romanians and Serbs...only, somehow he needs to realize the virtues of compromise in time rather than regret it when it's all too late)
 
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