Austria-Hungary

**Austria-Hungary** or the **Austro-Hungarian Empire** was a state in Central Europe from 1867 to 1918. It was the countries of Austria and Hungary ruled by a single monarch. This also included the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia as a constituent kingdom. The full name of the empire was "The Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen".

The dual monarchy replaced the Austrian Empire (1804–1867). It started with the compromise between the ruling Habsburg dynasty and the Hungarians. It was an empire made up of many different ethnic groups and was a great power. It found its political life full of arguments between the eleven main national groups. It had great economic growth through the age of industrialization. It also saw social changes with many liberal and democratic reforms.

The Habsburg dynasty ruled as emperors of Austria over the western and northern half of the country and as kings of Hungary over the Kingdom of Hungary. The Kingdom of Hungary had some ability to govern itself. It also had a say in things that affected both it and the rest of the empire. This was mainly foreign relations and defense.

The empire had two capital cities: Vienna in Austria and Budapest in Hungary. Austria-Hungary was the second largest country in Europe (after the Russian Empire). It had the third most people (after Russia and the German Empire).

## Creation of Austria–Hungary

The _Ausgleich_ or compromise of February 1867 created the Empire's dualist structure. The Austrian Empire (1804–67) had lessened in strength and in power. This was because of the Austro–Sardinian War of 1859 and the Austro–Prussian War of 1866. Also, the Hungarian people were not happy with how Vienna treated them. This had been going on for many years and it led to Hungarian separation. This included the Hungarian liberal revolution of 1848–49.

Emperor Franz Joseph tried to reach an agreement with the Hungarian nobility. He needed their support to keep the empire together. The Hungarian nobility would not accept anything less than equality between themselves and the Austrian elites.

## Governmental structure

Hungary and Austria had different parliaments. Each had its own prime minister. The monarch kept the two working together. He had absolute power in theory but very little in reality. The monarch’s central government had charge of foreign policy, the customs union and the armed forces. The empire had a navy and three armies: an Austrian army, a Hungarian army, and the larger "common" army.

## World War I

The deaths of Franz Joseph's brother, Maximilian I of Mexico (1867), and his only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, made the Emperor's nephew, Franz Ferdinand, next in line to the crown. On 28 June, 1914, the heir visited the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo. Bosnian Serb militants of the group Mlada Bosna attacked Franz Ferdinand's motorcade and assassinated him.

Some members of the government, such as Conrad von Hötzendorf had wanted to fight the Serbian nation for many years. The leaders of Austria-Hungary decided to attack Serbia before it could start a revolt. They used the assassination as an excuse. They gave Serbia a list of ten demands called the July Ultimatum. They expected Serbia would not accept. Serbia accepted nine of the ten demands but only partially accepted the other one. Austria-Hungary declared war.

These events brought the Empire into conflict with Serbia. Russia moved its army to help Serbia. This set off troop movements on both sides and started World War I.

## End of the Empire

By 1918, it was obvious that the Allied powers would win. Nations began declaring their independence from Austria-Hungary as the government of the empire began to collapse. The following nations were created from the territories of Austria-Hungary:
- Austria
- Hungary
- Czechoslovakia
Some nations only got part of their lands from the Empire. These include:
- The Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (gained most of their territory from Austria-Hungary but also had Serbia and Montenegro)
- Poland (minor territories near modern day Slovakia and the Czech Republic)

Some Austro-Hungarian lands were also given to Romania and Italy.

## Other websites

- "Distribution of Races in Austria–Hungary" from the _Historical Atlas_ by William R. Shepherd, 1911
- The Austro-Hungarian Military
- Austria–Hungary - extensive list of heads of state, ministers, and ambassadors
- Austria-Hungary, Dual Monarchy
- History of Austro-Hungarian currency
- Ausgleich -Citizendium

## Infobox (former country)

- **conventional long name**: Austro-Hungarian Empire
- **flag image**: Flags of Austria-Hungary2.png
- **flag image2**: Flag of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1869-1918).svg
- **common name**: Austria–Hungary
- **era**: New ImperialismWorld War I
- **event start**: Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, 1867 Compromise
- **year start**: 1867
- **date start**: 30 March
- **event1**: Dual Alliance
- **date event1**: 7 October 1879
- **event2**: Bosnian Crisis
- **date event2**: 6 October 1908
- **event3**: July Crisis
- **date event3**: 28 June 1914
- **event4**: Invasion of Serbia
- **date event4**: 28 July 1914
- **event5**: Aster Revolution
- **date event5**: 31 October 1918
- **event6**: Republic of German-Austria, Austrian Republic
- **date event6**: 12 November 1918
- **event7**: Hungarian Republic
- **date event7**: 16 November 1918
- **event9**: Treaty of Trianon
- **date event9**: 4 June 1920
- **life span**: 1867–1918
- **p1**: Austrian Empire
- **p2**: Kingdom of Hungary (1526–1867)Kingdom of Hungary
- **flag p1**: Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg
- **flag p2**: Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg
- **s1**: Republic of German-AustriaRepublic of
- **s2**: First Hungarian Republic
- **s3**: First Czechoslovak Republic
- **s4**: West Ukrainian People's Republic
- **s5**: Second Polish Republic
- **s6**: Kingdom of Romania
- **s7**: State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
- **s8**: Kingdom of Italy
- **s9**: Italian Regency of Carnaro
- **flag s1**: Flag of Austria.svg
- **flag s2**: Flag of Hungary (1918-1919).svg
- **flag s3**: Flag of the Czech Republic.svg
- **flag s4**: Flag of Ukraine (1917–1921).svg
- **flag s5**: Flag of Poland.svg
- **flag s6**: Flag of Romania.svg
- **flag s7**: Flag of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs.svg
- **flag s8**: Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg
- **flag s9**: Labaro Reggenza Italiana del Carnaro.svg
- **coa size**: 100px
- **image map**: Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1914).svg
- **image map caption**: Austria-Hungary on the eve of World War I
- **other symbol**:
- **other symbol type**: Greater Coat of Arms
- **national motto**: _Indivisibiliter ac inseparabiliter_

- **national anthem**:

<div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;"></div>
- **official languages**: ----**Other spoken languages:**
Bosnian language, Bosnian, Czech language, Czech, Romani (Carpathian), Italian language, Italian, Istro-Romanian, Romanian language, Romanian, Rusyn language, Rusyn, Ruthenian, Serbian language, Serbian, Slovak language, Slovak, Slovene language, Slovene, Yiddish language, Yiddish
- **religion**: 76.6% Catholic (incl. 64–66% Roman Catholic & 10–12% Eastern Catholic, Eastern)
 8.9% Protestantism, Protestant (Lutheranism, Lutheran, Calvinism, Reformed, Unitarianism, Unitarian)
 8.7% Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox
4.4% Jewish
 1.3% Muslim

- **capital**: Vienna (Cisleithania)
Budapest (Transleithania)
- **largest city**: Vienna
- **demonym**: Austrians, Austro-Hungarians, Hungarian
- **government type**: constitutional monarchy, Constitutional dual monarchy
- **title leader**: Emperor-King
- **leader1**: Franz Joseph I of Austria, Franz Joseph I
- **year leader1**: 1867–1916
- **leader2**: Karl I & IV
- **year leader2**: 1916–1918
- **title representative**: Minister-President of Austria
- **representative1**: F. F. von Beust
- **year representative1**: 1867 <small>(first)</small>
- **representative2**: Heinrich Lammasch
- **year representative2**: 1918 <small>(last)</small>
- **title deputy**: Prime Minister of Hungary
- **deputy1**: Gyula Andrássy
- **year deputy1**: 1867–1871 <small>(first)</small>
- **deputy2**: János Hadik
- **year deputy2**: 1918 <small>(last)</small>
- **legislature**: 2 national legislatures
- **type house1**: Imperial Council
- **house1**: Herrenhaus
Abgeordnetenhaus
- **type house2**: Diet of Hungary
- **house2**: House of Magnates
House of Representatives
- **stat pop1**: 52,800,000
- **stat year1**: 1914
- **stat year2**: 1905
- **iso3166code**: omit