The Austrian Empire was proclaimed as a monarchical state in 1804 and lasted until 1867, after which it was transformed into Austria-Hungary. Otherwise, it was called the Habsburg Empire, after the name of one of the Habsburgs, Franz, who, like Napoleon, also proclaimed himself emperor.
Legacy
The Austrian Empire in the 19th century, when you look at the map, looks like a patchwork quilt. It is immediately clear that this is a multinational state. And, most likely, it is, as it often happens, devoid of stability. Looking through the pages of history, one can be convinced that this happened here as well. Tiny multi-colored specks, collected under one border - this is Habsburg Austria. The map shows especially well how fragmented the lands of the empire were. The hereditary allotments of the Habsburgs are small regional areas inhabited by completely different peoples. The composition of the Austrian Empire was something like this.
- Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic.
- Transcarpathia (Carpathian Rus).
- Transylvania, Croatia, Vojvodina(Banat).
- Galicia, Bukovina.
- Northern Italy (Lombardy, Venice).
Not only the origin of all peoples was different, but the religion did not match. The peoples of the Austrian Empire (about thirty-four million) were half Slavs (Slovaks, Czechs, Croats, Poles, Ukrainians, Serbs. Magyars (Hungarians) were about five million, about the same number of Italians.
At the junction of history
Feudalism had not yet become obsolete by that time, but Austrian and Czech artisans could already call themselves workers, since the industry of these areas had fully developed to the capitalist.
The Habsburgs and the surrounding nobility were the dominant force of the empire, they occupied all the highest positions - both military and bureaucratic. Absolutism, the dominance of arbitrariness - bureaucratic and coercive in the face of the police, the dictate of the Catholic Church, the richest institution in the empire - all this somehow oppressed small peoples, united together, as if water and oil were incompatible even in a mixer.
The Austrian Empire on the eve of the revolution
The Czech Republic quickly became Germanized, especially the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy. Hungarian landowners strangled millions of Slavic peasants, but they themselves were also very dependent on the Austrian authorities. The Austrian Empire put heavy pressure on its Italian provinces. It is even difficult to distinguish what kind of oppression this was: the struggle of feudalism against capitalism or purely national differences.
Metternich, the head of government and an ardent reactionary, for thirty years banned anylanguage other than German in all institutions, including courts and schools. The population was mostly peasant. Considered free, these people were completely dependent on the landowners, paid dues, worked out duties reminiscent of corvée.
Not only the masses groaned under the yoke of the residual feudal order and absolute power with its arbitrariness. The bourgeoisie was also dissatisfied and was clearly pushing the people to revolt. A revolution in the Austrian Empire was simply inevitable for the above reasons.
National self-determination
All peoples are freedom-loving and treat with trepidation the development and preservation of their national culture. Especially Slavic. Then, under the weight of the Austrian boot, the Czechs, and Slovaks, and Hungarians, and Italians aspired to self-government, the development of literature and the arts, and sought education in schools in their national languages. Writers and scientists were united by one idea - national self-determination.
The same processes were going on among the Serbs, Croats. The more difficult the living conditions became, the brighter the dream of freedom flourished, which was reflected in the works of artists, poets and musicians. National cultures rose above reality and inspired their compatriots to take decisive steps towards freedom, equality, fraternity - following the example of the Great French Revolution.
Vienna Uprising
In 1847, the Austrian Empire "acquired" quite a revolutionary situation. The general economic crisis and two years of crop failures added spice to it, andthe impetus was the overthrow of the monarchy in France. Already in March 1848, the revolution in the Austrian Empire matured and broke out.
Workers, students, artisans erected barricades on the streets of Vienna and demanded the resignation of the government, not being afraid of the imperial troops, who had advanced to suppress the unrest. The government made concessions, dismissing Metternich and some ministers. Even a constitution was promised.
The public, however, rapidly armed themselves: the workers in any case received nothing - not even voting rights. The students created an academic legion, and the bourgeoisie created a national guard. And they resisted when these illegal armed groups tried to disband, which forced the emperor and the government to flee Vienna.
Peasants, as usual, did not have time to take part in the revolution. In some places they spontaneously rebelled, refusing to pay dues and arbitrarily cutting down the landowners' groves. The working class was, naturally, more conscious and organized. The fragmentation and individualism of labor do not add cohesion.
Unfinished
Like all German revolutions, the Austrian revolution was not completed, although it can already be called bourgeois-democratic. The working class was not yet mature enough, the bourgeoisie, as always, was liberal and behaved treacherously, plus there were national strife and military counterrevolution.
Failed to win. The monarchy resumed and intensified its triumphant oppression over impoverished and disenfranchised peoples. It is positive that some reforms have taken place, and most importantly, a revolutioncompletely destroyed the feudal system. It is also good that the country retained its territories, because after the revolutions, more homogeneous countries than Austria also disintegrated. The empire map has not changed.
Rulers
In the first half of the nineteenth century, until 1835, Emperor Franz I handled all state affairs. Chancellor Metternich was smart and had great weight in politics, but it was often simply impossible to convince the emperor. After the unpleasant consequences of the French Revolution for Austria, all the horrors of the Napoleonic wars, Metternich most of all longed to restore such order that peace would reign in the country.
However, Metternich failed to create a parliament with representatives of all the peoples of the empire, the provincial diets did not receive any real powers. However, economically rather backward Austria, with a feudal reactionary regime, over the thirty years of Metternich's work turned into the strongest state in Europe. His role is also great in the creation of the counter-revolutionary Holy Alliance in 1815.
In an effort to keep the shreds of the empire from complete collapse, the Austrian troops brutally suppressed the uprisings in Naples and Piedmont in 1821, maintaining complete domination of the Austrians over the non-Austrians in the country. Popular unrest outside Austria was often suppressed, due to which the army of this country acquired a bad reputation among the supporters of national self-determination.
An excellent diplomat, Metternich was in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Emperor Franz was in charge of domesticaffairs of the state. With close attention, he monitored all movements in the field of education: officials strictly checked everything that could be studied and read. The censorship was brutal. Journalists were forbidden to even mention the word "constitution".
Religion was relatively calm, there was some religious tolerance. The Jesuit order was revived, the Catholics oversaw education, and no one was excommunicated from the church without the consent of the emperor. Jews were released from the ghetto, and even synagogues were built in Vienna. It was then that Solomon Rothschild appeared among the bankers, making friends with Metternich. And even received a baronial title. In those days - an incredible event.
The end of a great power
Foreign policy of Austria in the second half of the century is full of failures. Continuous defeats in wars.
- Crimean War (1853-1856).
- Austro-Prussian War (1866).
- Austro-Italian War (1866).
- war with Sardinia and France (1859).
At this time there was a sharp break in relations with Russia, then the creation of the North German Union. All this led to the fact that the Habsburgs lost influence on the states not only in Germany, but throughout Europe. And - as a result - the status of a great power.
