[Sherman Logan]

In Austria-Hungary in fact, the ArchDuke Ferdinand (whose death was the excuse that caused the local war between A-H and Serbia and was the excuse for the world war between Germany and Russia) was a proponent of a “United States of Central Europe” which would have Germans, Hungarians, Poles, Serbs etc. having equal powers.

Which was exactly why the Serbs wanted him dead. A US of CE with not overly dissatisfied minorities would have brought a screeching halt to the Serbian ambition of uniting all southern Slavs under their leadership.

Yugoslavia, of course, and we all know how well that turned out.

[Cronos]

I never put that together. you are correct.

A what-if scenario if ArchDuke Ferdinand HAD succeeded Franz-Jozef and implemented his reforms. The Hungarians didn't like it as they lost control over the minorities in their half.

Ferdinand was also against the alliance with the Prussians -- seeing them as a threat.

The Austrian partitioned area was the best place for Poles to be in terms of their culture not being threatened. Of course it was the poorest part -- the kingdom of Galicia and Lodomierza (Królestwo Goło i głodny :) --> but this was the place where Polish culture flourished.

The recreation of a smaller Kingdom of Poland within the USCE would have instantly made the Poles on Austria's side. This would have caused a war between Russia and Austria but Germany would not intervene.