The Dickinson press., 1915-04-03
maintain Austro-H Hungarian tt

maintain Austro-Hungarian trade
and influence in the Balkan states by
the building of railways, by the
opening of the Danube for naviga-
ton, and by commercial treaties with
Rumania, Servia and Bulgaria. The
disturbed conditions of European poll
tics and increased military establish
ments Of other countries have made it
seem necessary to give considerable
attention to increasing the military
power and equipment but the extern
sion of trade relations through COM
mercial treaties has been the domin-
ant idea. ..
The annexation of Bosnia and Her.
zegovina in 1908 was an expensive
process for Austria-Hungary Turkey
required two million pounds strel-
ing to soothe her feelings and when
Montenegro and Servia made claims,
war was threatened.
Defence
The peace strength of the army as
organized in 1913 is about 433, 900
and the law provides for a war
strength of 100000 with a posi-
bility of increase to over three mil
lion men. Military service is COM
pulsory between the ages of 81 and
AZ, and the soldier spends two years
in the active army (three in the cav
airy Or artillery, ten years in the
reserve and nine years in the Land
sturm. Austria-Hungary's expendi-
ture for armament during 1913-191A
was $172,939,6O6. In 1914 she main
tanned an air fleet of 112 ae~roplanes
and sever dirigibles.
The coast line is the shortest of
any of the great powers and yet in
the last few years a strong navy has
been built. 1t consists of 189 ships
of all kinds, including Tin 1919 8
dreadnoughts, IL pre-dreadnoughts
GO torpedo boats, Is ~destroyers, {
submarines and so hydroplanes. The
| total naval force, including reserves
amounts to $1,000 men. "The navy
expenditure for 1884 amounted to
$50, OO2, 755, an increase of 1882 per
cent over that of 1907-08."
History
The empire of Austria, as the Of
fetal designation of the territories
| ruled by the Habsburg monarchy
| dates back only to 1904, when Francis
II, the last of the Holy Roman En-
perors, proclaimed himself emperor
| of Austria as Francis I. His motive
was to guard against the great house
| of Habsburg being relegated to an
| inferior position in the event of the
| final collapse of the Holy Roman EN-
pire.
But this country had a history long
before this. 1t was conquered by the
Romans about IA B. c. and later ex-
perienced the invasions of the Van
dals, Goths, Huns, Longobards and
Avars. Charlemag ne expelled the
Avars and made a territory that he
called the eastern mark OF
Ostreich." The Hungarians or Mag
vars overran the county about 900
And SIS years later these were con-
quered by the Germans under King
Otto the Great. In 976 the govern
ment of the East Mark was put
into the hands Of Leopold of the
family. Of Babenberg, whose admins.
tration was conducted with vigor and
success. Leopold and his descend.
ants ruled until the extinction of the
family in 1916 and made it M Of
the important German states. AID.
ditional territory was incorporated
and in 1156 the "Duchy Of Austria
was created and exceptional priv
leges conferred upon it by Frederick
I.
It was SO years Of pretty constant
fighting between the contestants fol
the rule, after the extinction of thu
house Of Babenberg. In 1882 thu
house Of the Habsburg was estab'
lished in, Austria. The Habsbur&
family takes its name from the Castle
Habsburg in the Swiss canton o.