Posted on 02/23/2025 11:08:51 AM PST by BenLurkin
The Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as the Dual Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed by a compromise agreement between Vienna and Budapest, consisting of two sovereign states with a single monarch who was titled both Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. The empire was geographically the second-largest country in Europe and the third-most populous, spanning almost 700,000 square kilometres and containing 52 million people. It was a major European power in the years prior to World War I, occupying much of central Europe and containing a rich mix of people and cultures. The empire was ruled by ambitious militarists and industrialists keen on expansion, particularly in the Balkans, which created rivalry and tension with neighbouring Russia.
The empire's political organisation was complex and unusual, reflecting its origins as two separate kingdoms. The emperor was first crowned as king of both Austria and Hungary, and each monarchy continued to exist with a degree of autonomy, retaining its own parliament, prime minister, cabinet, and domestic self-government. The citizens of each half were treated as foreigners in the other half. While the Austrian half of the empire was referred to as 'Cisleithania', the internal structure of the Hungarian half, also known as 'Transleithania', was somewhat clearer. The Kingdom of Hungary was the dominant element, together with the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia, which had been united with Hungary since the Middle Ages.
This expansionist policy created rivalry and tension with neighbouring Russia, which considered itself the guardian power of Slavs and Orthodox Christians in eastern Europe. The Austro-Hungarian Empire spanned almost 700,000 square kilometres and was home to 52 million people, making it the second-largest nation in Europe by territory and the third-largest by population.
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A big problem for Hungary was that they had no veto when it came to the Empire’s foreign policy. So the Hapsburgs were able to drag the Hungarians into WW1.
Disclaimer: But once in the war, the Hungarian leadership got as greedy as the other powers. After some initial military successes, the Hungarians started to plan the annexation of neighboring territories.
That sure didn’t work out well in the long run.
And the Hungarians tried sucking up to Hitler to try to get those territories back, especially Slovakia, but Hitler said “Nein!”
Hungary’s behavior in WW2 is quite mixed. After Hitler conquered Poland, Hungary allowed fleeing Polish troops to safely enter Hungary.
Then Hungary entered into a period of cooperation with Nazi Germany. That was partially due to a desire to regain territories lost in WW1, as you noted.
But Hungary also wanted to avoid the fate of neighboring Yugoslavia. Play ball with Hitler, or get overrun and occupied.
They were occupied in 1944 by the Nazis. Hungary up to that point protected their Jewish population, but after the occupation almost all were shipped to Auschwitz.
Most Hungarians, (unlike the Jew Soros) tried to protect the Jews , but the Germans had a very dim view of that. My mother and her sister were sent by my grandmother to take milk to a nearby farm for their children(a Jewish family) the occupying German soldiers told them to leave and fired shots at them with the promise that if they came back they would be killed.
If Franz Ferdinand had lived the entire history would be different.
Well, maybe a few in Transylvania.
My grandfather (who raised me -mother’s side) was in the Astro-Hungarian army in WW1. He was a POW on the Italian front. He was Slovak. He emigrated to Canada and eventually to NJ after the war. He married a first generation American of Hungarian descent. He obtained US citizenship. They spoke Hungarian to each other but English to me. He had some stories about the war and depression.
If Diversity is our Strength, then Austria-Hungary would have won WWI.
Oh, Celeste,
you are the best,
with you I was blessed,
but I failed the test,
And now I'm depressed,
Celeste...
You might as well take
my heart...
...out of my chest,
And mail it...
...all the way to Budapest...Two and a half men - Jake's song for Celeste | 0:35
Sterjos | 73 subscribers | 59,777 views | March 15, 2011
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