[Hawthorn]

>> Illinois, and Michigan, and New York and New Jersey <<

But unlike Kahlee-FOUR-nee-ah, these states aren't under the dreaded rule of an Austrian autocrat.

So maybe they can somehow avoid the Curse of the Ahnold!

(Even today, some 90 years after their countries gained independence via the Treaty of Versailles, people in the Balkans will tell you in the most forceful terms that Austrian rule was almost as bad as Turkish rule!)

[C19fan]

But Greece was never under Hapsburg rule. hee, hee

[Androcles]

Even today, some 90 years after their countries gained independence via the Treaty of Versailles, people in the Balkans will tell you in the most forceful terms that Austrian rule was almost as bad as Turkish rule!

Absolutely - My wife's family (Catholics all) fled Austrian occupation there in the late nineteenth centruy after Austrians started executing local civilians as punishment/deterrent against supporting nationalism in a neighbouring district.

During their flight, at one pioint they hid from a patrol checking the house they were in but had no time to remove the baby (less than one year old) from the cradle. A young Austrian trooper spitted it casually and the patrol wandered off, knowing the family would be nearby but not too worried about finding them now they'd delivered this "lesson".