lukedalton,
exactly my point. junior and senior partners need a pact-constitutional frame, and namely A-H-reformed into Greater Austria could be the vessel and frame and instrument for holding the dependencies together.
This is the problem, if it work (doubtfoul in peacetime, almost ASB after anything else than a shor victorious war) A-H can become competition for Germany so she must be disposed, if not she will become a burden and after a while she will be left on her device.
THUS the nationalities are kept separate TOGETHER almost exactly on the real geographical ethic boundaries.
The instrument Greater Austria can thus even expand without this to be considered act of aggression , suppression, etc.
Especially in the warlike and turbulent Balkans, the peoples at the end shall be happy to live in perfectly carved mono-ethnic territories BUT still with full access to the markets and good organization comming from Berlin via Vienna. All of them will be more than happy with replacement of their "native" monarchs with the Habsburg Emperor in Vienna.
Sorry but the United States of Greater Austria were just a pipe dream; with the Magyar who want more independence but put down all other minorities; Croats and Czech becoming increasing vocal regarding authonomy; Germans wary to give up much; nation at her border hungrily watching her, Hasburgs who don't want to give up much power...the A-h is a conundrum who cannot be solved