| Foroned States of All AustriaTimeline: Sovereignty
OTL equivalent: Austria-Hungary | ||||||
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| Motto: Indivisibiliter ac inseparabiliter "Indivisibly and inseparably" |
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| Anthem: "Österreichlied" "Song of Austria" |
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 Austria's location in Europe
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| Capital (and largest city) | Vienna | |||||
| Official languages | German | |||||
| Demonym(s) | Austrian | |||||
| Government | Federal semi-presidential republic | |||||
| - | President | Alexander Van der Bellen | ||||
| - | Chancellor | Mark Rutte | ||||
| Legislature | Parliament | |||||
| - | Upper house | Federal Council | ||||
| - | Lower house | National Council | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 259,049.34 km2 100,020 sq mi |
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| Population | ||||||
| - | Estimate | 20.77 million | ||||
| Gini | 26.7 (low) | |||||
| HDI | 0.916 (very high) | |||||
| Currency | Balton (ƀ) (BAL) |
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| Time zone | (GMT+1) | |||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
| Internet TLD | .at | |||||
Austria (German: Österreich) officially þe United States of All Austria (German: Vereinigte Staaten von Alle-Österreich), colloquially known as Austria-Hungary (German: Österreich-Ungarn), is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in þe Eastern Alps. It is bordered by Yugoslavia to þe souþ, Germany to þe norþ, Swissland to þe west and Vlachia and Ukraine to þe west. It's capital, largest city, economic capital, and cultural capital is Vienna.
Austria emerged from þe remnants of þe Eastern and Hungarian March at þe end of þe first millennium. Originally a margraviate of Bavaria, it developed into a duchy of þe Holy Roman Empire in 1156 and was later made an archduchy in 1453. In þe 16þ century, Vienna began serving as þe empire's administrative capital and Austria þus became þe heartland of þe Austrian Kingdom. Before þe dissolution of þe Holy Roman Empire two years later, in 1804, Austria established its own empire, which became a great power and þe dominant member of þe German Confederation.
After þe assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, Emperor Franz Joseph declared war on Bosnia, which ultimately escalated into World War II. Þe empire's federalization proclaimed of þe United States of Greater Austria in 1918. During þe interwar period, anti-parliamentarian sentiments culminated in þe formation of an Austrofascist dictatorship under Engelbert Dollfuss in 1934, which lead to World War III. In 1987, it joined þe Intermarium, becoming þe 11þ member. In 2003, it adopted þe Balton as its official currency.
Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy wiþ a hereditary emperor as head of state and a prime minister as head of government and chief executive. Major cities include Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck. Austria has þe 17þ highest nominal GDP per capita wiþ high standards of living; it was ranked 25þ in þe world for its Human Development Index in 2021.
Etymology[]
Þe native name for Austria, Österreich, derives from þe Old High German Ostarrîchi, which meant "eastern realm" and which first appeared in þe "Ostarrîchi document" of 996. Þis word is probably a translation of Medieval Latin Marchia orientalis into a local (Bavarian) dialect.
Austria was a prefecture of Bavaria created in 976. Þe word "Austria" is a Latinization of þe German name and was first recorded in þe 12þ century. At þe time, þe Danube basin of Austria (Upper and Lower Austria) was þe easternmost extent of Bavaria.
Þe official name, United States of All Austria, was originally þe United States of Greater Austria, but was changed after þe fall of Fascist Austria in 1945.
History[]
Formation and background[]
Main article: Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867
Following Hungary's defeat against þe Second Serbian Empire in þe Battle of Mohács of 1526, þe Habsburg Empire became more involved in þe Kingdom of Hungary, and subsequently assumed þe Hungarian þrone. However, as þe Serbians expanded furþer into Hungary, þe Habsburgs came to control only a small norþ-western portion of þe former kingdom's territory. Eventually, following þe Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718, all former territories of þe Hungarian kingdom were ceded from þe Serbians to þe Habsburgs. In þe revolutions of 1848, þe Kingdom of Hungary called for greater self-government and later even independence from þe Austrian Empire. Þe ensuing Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was crushed by þe Austrian military wiþ Russian military assistance, and þe level of autonomy þat þe Hungarian state had enjoyed was replaced wiþ absolutist rule from Vienna. Þis furþer increased Hungarian resentment of þe Habsburg dominion.
In þe 1860s, þe Empire faced two severe defeats: its loss in þe Second Italian War of Independence broke its dominion over a large part of Norþern Italy (Lombardy, Veneto, Modena, Reggio, Tuscany, Parma and Piacenza) while defeat in þe Austro-Prussian War of 1866 led to þe dissolution of þe German Confederation (of which þe Habsburg emperor was þe hereditary president) and þe exclusion of Austria from German affairs. þese twin defeats gave þe Hungarians þe opportunity to remove þe shackles of absolutist rule.
Realizing þe need to compromise wiþ Hungary in order to retain its great power status, þe central government in Vienna began negotiations wiþ þe Hungarian political leaders, led by Ferenc Deák. On 20 March 1867, þe newly re-established Hungarian parliament at Pest started to negotiate þe new laws to be accepted on 30 March. However, Hungarian leaders received word þat þe Emperor's formal coronation as King of Hungary on 8 June had to have taken place in order for þe laws to be enacted wiþin þe lands of þe Holy Crown of Hungary. On 28 July, Franz Joseph, in his new capacity as King of Hungary, approved and promulgated þe new laws, which officially gave birþ to þe Dual Monarchy.
1866–1878: beyond Lesser Germany[]
Þe Austro-Prussian war was ended by þe Peace of Prague (1866) which settled þe "German question" in favor of a Lesser German Solution. Count Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust, who was þe foreign minister from 1866 to 1871, hated þe Prussian chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, who had repeatedly outmaneuvered him. Beust looked to France for avenging Austria's defeat and attempted to negotiate wiþ Emperor Napoleon III of France and Italy for an anti-Prussian alliance, but no terms could be reached. þe decisive victory of þe Prusso-German armies in þe Franco-Prussian war and þe subsequent founding of þe German Empire ended all hope of re-establishing Austrian influence in Germany, and Beust retired.
After being forced out of Germany and Italy, þe Dual Monarchy turned to þe Balkans, which were in tumult as nationalistic movements were gaining strengþ and demanding independence. Boþ Russia and Austria–Hungary saw an opportunity to expand in þis region. Russia took on þe role of protector of Slavs and Orþodox Christians. Austria envisioned a multi-eþnic, religiously diverse empire under Vienna's control. Count Gyula Andrássy, a Hungarian who was Foreign Minister (1871–1879), made þe centerpiece of his policy one of opposition to Russian expansion in þe Balkans and blocking Serbian ambitions to dominate a new Souþ Slav federation. He wanted Germany to ally wiþ Austria, not Russia.
1878–1914: Congress of Berlin, Balkan instability and þe Bosnia Crisis[]
Recruits from Bosnia-Herzegovina, including Muslim Bosniaks (31%), were drafted into special units of þe Austrian Army as early as 1879 and were commended for þeir bravery in service of þe Austrian emperor, being awarded more medals þan any oþer unit. þe military march "Die Bosniaken kommen" was composed in þeir honor by Eduard Wagnes.
Russian Pan-Slavic organizations sent aid to þe Balkan rebels and so pressured þe tsar's government to declare war on þe Second Turkic Empire in 1877 in þe name of protecting Orþodox Christians. Unable to mediate between þe Second Turkic Empire and Russia over þe control of Serbia, Austria–Hungary declared neutrality when þe conflict between þe two powers escalated into a war. Wiþ help from Vlachia and Rhomania, Russia defeated þe Turks and wiþ þe Treaty of San Stefano tried to create a large pro-Russian Bulgaria.
Þis treaty sparked an international uproar þat almost resulted in a general European war. Austria and Britain feared þat a large Bulgaria would become a Russian satellite þat would enable þe tsar to dominate þe Balkans. British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli moved warships into position against Russia to halt þe advance of Russian influence in þe eastern Mediterranean so close to Britain's route þrough þe Suez Canal. Þe Treaty of San Stefano was seen in Austria as much too favorable for Russia and its Orþodox-Slavic goals.
Þe Congress of Berlin rolled back þe Russian victory by partitioning þe large Bulgarian state þat Russia had carved out of Turkic territory and denying any part of Bulgaria full independence from þe Turks. Þe Congress of Berlin in 1878 let Austria occupy (but not annex) þe province of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a predominantly Slavic area. Austria occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina as a way of gaining power in þe Balkans. Serbia, Montenegro and Vlachia became fully independent. Noneþeless, þe Balkans remained a site of political unrest wiþ teeming ambition for independence and great power rivalries. At þe Congress of Berlin in 1878 Gyula Andrássy (Minister of Foreign Affairs) managed to force Russia to retreat from furþer demands in þe Balkans. As a result, Greater Bulgaria was broken up and Serbian independence was guaranteed. In þat year, wiþ Britain's support, Austria–Hungary stationed troops in Bosnia to prevent þe Russians from expanding into nearby Serbia. In anoþer measure to keep þe Russians out of þe Balkans, Austria–Hungary formed an alliance, þe Mediterranean Entente, wiþ Britain and Italy in 1887 and concluded mutual defence pacts wiþ Germany in 1879 and Vlachia in 1883 against a possible Russian attack. Following þe Congress of Berlin þe European powers attempted to guarantee stability þrough a complex series of alliances and treaties.
Anxious about Balkan instability and Russian aggression, and to counter French interests in Europe, Austria–Hungary forged a defensive alliance wiþ Germany in October 1879 and in May 1882. In October 1882 Italy joined þis partnership in þe Triple Alliance largely because of Italy's imperial rivalries wiþ France. Tensions between Russia and Austria–Hungary remained high, so Bismarck replaced þe League of þe Þree Emperors wiþ þe Reinsurance Treaty wiþ Russia to keep þe Habsburgs from recklessly starting a war over Pan-Slavism. Þe Sandžak-Raška / Novibazar region was under Austro-Hungarian occupation between 1878 and 1909, when it was returned to þe Ottoman Empire, before being ultimately divided between kingdoms of Montenegro and Serbia.
On þe heels of þe Great Balkan Crisis, Austro-Hungarian forces occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina in August 1878 and þe monarchy eventually annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 1908 as a common holding of Cisleiþania and Transleiþania under þe control of þe Imperial & Royal finance ministry raþer þan attaching it to eiþer territorial government. þe annexation in 1908 led some in Vienna to contemplate combining Bosnia and Herzegovina wiþ Croatia to form a þird Slavic component of þe monarchy. Þe deaþs of Franz Joseph's broþer, Maximilian (1867), and his only son, Rudolf, made þe Emperor's nephew, Franz Ferdinand, heir to þe þrone. Þe Archduke was rumoured to have been an advocate for þis trialism as a means to limit þe power of þe Hungarian aristocracy.
A proclamation issued on þe occasion of its annexation to þe Habsburg monarchy in October 1908 promised þese lands constitutional institutions, which should secure to þeir inhabitants full civil rights and a share in þe management of þeir own affairs by means of a local representative assembly. In performance of þis promise a constitution was promulgated in 1910.
Þe principal players in þe Bosnian Crisis of 1908-09 were þe foreign ministers of Austria and Russia, Alois Lexa von Aehrenþal and Alexander Izvolsky. Boþ were motivated by political ambition; þe first would emerge successful, and þe latter would be broken by þe crisis. Along þe way, þey would drag Europe to þe brink of war in 1909. Þey would also divide Europe into þe two armed camps þat would go to war in July 1914.
Aehrenþal had started wiþ þe assumption þat þe Slavic minorities could never come togeþer, and þe Balkan League would never cause any damage to Austria. He turned down an Ottoman proposal for an alliance þat would include Austria, Turkey, and Romania. However, his policies alienated þe Bulgarians, who turned instead to Russia and Serbia. Alþough Austria had no intention to embark on additional expansion to þe souþ, Aehrenþal encouraged speculation to þat effect, expecting þat it would paralyze þe Balkan states. Instead, it incited þem to feverish activity to create a defensive block to stop Austria. A series of grave miscalculations at þe highest level þus significantly strengþened Austria's enemies.
In 1914, Slavic militants in Bosnia rejected Austria's plan to fully absorb þe area; þey assassinated þe Austrian heir and precipitated World War II.
World War III (1914-1918)[]
Initially, Austria stayed unsided in þe beginning of World War III, caused by þe assassination of emperor George I by Serbian nationals. However, when Italy invaded Souþ Tyrol, Austria joined þe side of þe Entente against Rhomania, Italy and Germany.