World History: Austro-Hungarian Empire

Austro-Hungarian Empire

Mollee Herrmann and Jane Hunt

Mrs. Lindquist

World History 10-5

17 May 2015

Geographically speaking, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was at the heart of the continent. This area is 676,000 square kilometers, making it one of the largest empires at the time. According to a census in 1911, the empire had an approximate population of 51.3 million. This population was divided into seven groups by religious affiliation and twelve major demographic groups by language and ethnicity (Jászi). [pic 1]

[pic 2]The Austro-Hungarian Empire has an extremely difficult time keeping the vast and diverse empire together. The empire was made up of many nationalistic countries that wished to become their own separate nation-state and no longer wanted to support the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The empire did not have any strong leadership and a had a top heavy and inefficient bureaucracy which cause them to have a difficult time dealing with any serious crises (Elnicki). Both Austria and Hungary had their own representation in the empires dual monarchy. Each had monarchies that continued to exist in their own right; they had their own parliament, prime ministers, cabinet and a degree of domestic self-government. Although the empire as a whole was overseen by a central government, which had the responsibility for matters of foreign policy, military command and joint finance. This imperial government was comprised of the emperor, both prime ministers, three appointed ministers, members of the aristocracy and representatives of the military (Llewellyn).

In the Austro-Hungarian Empire there were many different languages spoken. The most used languages were German, Hungarian, Czech and Polish. These four languages were used by more than 80 percent of the empire. Along with the many different languages there were also many different religions. More than 70 percent were Latin Catholics, but there were also a few that were Eastern Catholics and Calvinists (Baedeker).

[pic 3]

The currency in the empire had changed many times. First it was called Gluden until 1892 when it changed to Korona. Korona was used all the way through the World War I, but then in 1918 it changed again due to the dissolution of the empire. In 1919 it was officially named Heller (Baedeker).

[pic 4]

        From 1875–1914 the emperor of the empire was Archduke Francis Ferdinand. On Sunday, 28 June 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed in Sarajevo, by Gavrilo Princip, a member of a group of assassins organized and armed by the Black Hand. The event led to a chain of events that eventually triggered World War I (Belfield).  The prime minister of the Dual monarchy was Janos Count Hadik de Futak. He served through the first World War (Duffy).[pic 5]

[pic 6]

        The Military of Austria-Hungary, comprising the Armed Forces, War Office, and intelligence organizations of the Dual Monarchy served as one of the empire's core unifying institutions as well as external powers. The commander-in-chief was Emperor Charles I. On 2 December 1916, he assumed the title of Supreme Commander of the whole army from Archduke Francis (Higham and Showalter).