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{{Short description|Proposed federal state in Central Europe}}
The '''United States of Greater Austria''' (]: ''Vereinigte Staaten von Groß-Österreich'') was an idea created by a group of scholars surrounding the ]n ] that never came to pass. This specific proposal was conceived by ] in ].
]
The '''United States of Greater Austria''' ({{langx|de|Vereinigte Staaten von Groß-Österreich}}) was an unrealised proposal made in 1906 to ] ] to help resolve widespread ethnic and nationalist tensions. It was conceived by a group of scholars surrounding ], notably by the ethnic ] lawyer and politician ].


==Nationality conflict==
As the twentieth century started to unfold the greatest problem facing the '''Dual Monarchy''' of ] was that it consisted of eleven distinctly different ethnic groupings of which only two, the ] and ] (who together accounted for about 44% of the total population) wielded any power or control. The other nine groupings (], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]) hardly wielded any power at all. The Dual Monarchy system of Franz Ferdinand's uncle, the Emperor ], had been to split the ancient ] into two nations, one Austrian-dominated, the other Hungarian-dominated. However, after various demonstrations, uprisings and acts of ], it became readily apparent that the notion of two ethnic groups dominating the other nine could not realistically survive ''in perpetuam''.
The first program for the federalisation of the Habsburg Empire was developed by the Hungarian nobleman ]. In his work titled ''Szózat a magyar és a szláv nemzetiség ügyében'', published in Hungarian in 1843 and in German in 1844, he proposed not only social reforms but reforms of the state structure of the Empire and its nationality policy. He aimed to replace the centralized empire with a federation of five states: a German state, a state of Bohemia and Moravia, Galicia as a Polish state, the Italian part of Lombardy and Istria, and the state of historical Hungary.<ref>ROMSICS Ignác: A Habsburg Birodalom föderalizálási tervei. In: Európai Utas 2001. IV. sz. http://www.hhrf.org/europaiutas/20014/4.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924030134/http://www.hhrf.org/europaiutas/20014/4.htm |date=2015-09-24 }}</ref>


Another idea came from Hungarian revolutionary ]: "True liberty is impossible without federalism".<ref>{{cite book |first=Patrick |last=Pasture |title=Imagining European Unity since 1000 AD |publisher=] |year=2015 |page=85 |isbn=9781137480477 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3F0MCgAAQBAJ&q=%22Lajos+Kossuth%22+united+states+of+greater+austria%22&pg=PP115}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Patrick |last1=Pasture |first2=John |last2=Neubauer |title=History of the Literary Cultures of East-Central Europe: Junctures and disjunctures in the 19th and 20th centuries |volume=2 |publisher=] |year=2006 |page=242 |isbn=9789027293404 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jYk6AAAAQBAJ&q=%22True+liberty+is+impossible+without+federalism%22&pg=PA242}}</ref> Kossuth proposed to transform the Habsburg Empire into a "Danubian State", a federal republic with autonomous regions.<ref>"Encyclopædia Britannica: Kossuth article"</ref><ref>Lessons of the War and the Peace Conference : Oreste Ferrara</ref>
Franz Ferdinand had planned to radically redraw the map of Austria-Hungary creating a number of ethnically and linguistically dominated semi-autonomous "states" who would all be part of a larger confederation renamed the United States of Greater Austria. Under this plan language and cultural identification was encouraged, and the disproportionate balance of power would theoretically be righted somewhat. The idea was set to encounter heavy opposition from the Hungarian part of the Dual Monarchy, since a direct result of the reform would have been a significant loss of power for the Hungarian nobility.{{Fact|date=May 2007}}


The ] established the dual monarchy of ]. The Compromise partially re-established<ref>{{cite book |first1=André |last1=Gerrits |first2=Dirk Jan |last2=Wolffram |title=Political Democracy and Ethnic Diversity in Modern European History |publisher=] |year=2005 |page=42 |isbn=9780804749763 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UFY_iWZAj7kC&q=Ausgleich+%22hungarian+parliament%22+re-established&pg=PA42}}</ref> the sovereignty of the ], separate from and no longer subject to the ]. However, the favouritism shown to the Magyars, the second largest ethnic group in the dual monarchy after the Germans, caused discontent on the part of other ethnic groups like the ] and ].<ref name="one">{{cite book |last=Cornwall |first=Mark |title=Last Years of Austria-Hungary: A Multi-National Experiment in Early Twentieth-Century Europe |edition=2nd |location=Exeter |publisher=] |date=2002}}</ref>
However, the Archduke was assassinated at ] in ], which led directly to the outbreak of the ]. Austria-Hungary was defeated and dismantled and several new states were created, as well as various Austro-Hungarian territories ceded to existing neighbouring countries, by the victorious ] powers.


In 1900 the greatest problem facing the dual monarchy of ] was that it consisted of about a dozen distinctly different ethnic groups, of which only two, the ] and ] (who together accounted for about 44% of the total population), wielded any power or control. The other ethnic groups, which were not involved in the state affairs, included ] (], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]) and ] peoples (], ]). Among them, only Croats had limited autonomy in the ]. In the ], several ethnic minorities faced increased pressures of ].<ref name= "three">{{cite journal |last1=Seton-Watson |first1=R. W. |year=1925 |title=Transylvania since 1867 |journal=The Slavonic Review |volume=4 |issue=10 |pages=101–123}}</ref>
==Proposed states from Aurel Popovici==
]
The following territories were supposed to become states after the reform
(''note that ''Deutsch'' in this case implied the ], not any link to ]'' per se):


Franz Ferdinand had planned to redraw the map of Austria-Hungary radically, creating a number of ethnically and linguistically dominated semi-autonomous "states" which would all be part of a larger federation renamed the United States of Greater Austria. Under this plan, language and cultural identification was encouraged, and the imbalance of power would be corrected. The idea would have encountered heavy opposition from Hungarian politicians, since a direct result of the reform would have been a significant territorial loss for Hungary.
]


However, the Archduke was ] at ] in 1914, triggering the outbreak of the ]. After the war, Austria-Hungary was ] and several new ] were created, and various Austro-Hungarian territories were ceded to neighbouring countries at the ] (''see ] and ]'').
*''Deutsch-Österreich'' (], present-day Austria and Italy (]))
*''Deutsch-Böhmen'' (], northwestern part of present-day ])
*''Deutsch-Mähren'' (], northeastern part of present-day Czech Republic)
*''Böhmen'' (], southern and central part of present-day Czech Republic)
*''Slowakenland'' (])
*''West-Galizien'' (], part of present-day ])
*''Ost-Galizien'' (], part of present-day ])
*''Ungarn'' (])
*''Seklerland'' (], part of present-day ])
*''Siebenbürgen'' (], part of present-day Romania and Ukraine)
*''Trento'' (], part of present-day ])
*''Triest'' (]), part of present-day Italy)
*''Krain'' (], present-day ])
*''Kroatien'' (])
*''Woiwodina'' (], part of present-day ])


==States proposed by Aurel Popovici==
In addition, a number of mostly German-speaking enclaves in eastern Transylvania and elsewhere were to have limited autonomy.

According to Popovici's plans, the following 15 territories were to become states of the federation after the reform. The majority ethnic group within each territory is also listed.
]
*''Deutsch-Österreich'': ] (present-day ] with the ] province of ], the ] and ] regions—the southern part of the later '']''—in the present-day ], as well as the ] region in western Hungary including Sopron/] and Mosonmagyaróvár/]) and small area of current Slovakia around ]/Pressburg, ethnic German
*''Deutsch-Böhmen'': ] (''Sudetenland'' territory in northwestern Bohemia, present-day Czech Republic), ethnic German
*''Deutsch-Mähren'': ] (northeastern ''Sudetenland'' in Moravia and ], present-day Czech Republic, later named Province of the Sudetenland), ethnic German
*''Böhmen'': ] proper (southern and central part of Bohemia and Moravia in the present-day Czech Republic), ethnic Czech
*''Slowakenland'': roughly present-day ] without Hungarian minority lands in the south, ethnic Slovak
*''West-Galizien'': West ] (the western part of the ] in present-day ]), ethnic Polish
*''Ost-Galizien'': East Galicia (the eastern part of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria and the adjacent ] lands, in present-day ] and Poland), ethnic ] and ]
*''Ungarn'': ] (present-day Hungary with parts of southern ], ] - today ], and the northern ] region in present-day ]), ethnic ]
*''Seklerland'': ] (part of present-day ]), ethnic Magyar
*''Siebenbürgen'': ], most of the ] and ] (part of present-day Romania, Serbia and Ukraine), mainly ethnic Romanian, with Magyar and German minorities
*''Trient'': ] (part of present-day Italy), ethnic Italian
*''Triest'': ] and ] (parts of present-day Italy), western ] (part of present-day Croatia and Slovenia), mainly ethnic Italian, with Slovenian and Croatian minorities
*''Krain'': ] (roughly present-day ] with the ]-speaking territory of southern ]), ethnic Slovene
*''Kroatien'': ] (present-day ], ] in present-day Serbia and ] in present-day ]), ethnic Croatian, Italian and Serb
*''Woiwodina'': ] (part of present-day ] and ]), mainly Serb and Croatian, with Magyar, Romanian, German and Slovak minorities.

In addition, a number of mostly German-speaking enclaves in eastern ], the Banat and other parts of Hungary, southern Slovenia, large cities (such as ], ], ], and others) and elsewhere were to have autonomy within the respective territory.

{{Quote box
| quote ="The great origin, language, customs and mentality diversity of different nationalities requires, for the whole Empire of the Habsburgs, a certain state form, which can guarantee that not a single nationality will be threatened, obstructed or offended in its national political life, in its private development, in its national pride, in one word – in its way of feeling and living"
| source = ] (1906)
| width = 65%
| align = center
}}

== See also ==
* ], an alternative reform movement to turn the dual Austria-Hungary into a triple Austro-Hungarian-Croatian state
* ], an alternative reform suggested by Austrian Marxists
* ], earlier proposal uniting German and Austrian lands
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
*{{cite book|last1=Isac|first1=Iulian Nicusor|title=The United States of Greater Austria – a step towards European Union?|url=http://www.centrulgafencu.ro/user/image/12isac.pdf|access-date=10 December 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912025311/http://www.centrulgafencu.ro/user/image/12isac.pdf|archive-date=12 September 2011}}
*{{de icon}} {{cite book || last=Kowalski || first=Erich || year=2005 || title=Die Pläne zur Reichsreform der Militärkanzlei des Thronfolgers Franz Ferdinand im Spannungsfeld von Trialismus und Föderalismus || publisher=Universitätsbibliothek ] || location=] }} * {{cite book |last=Kowalski |first=Erich |year=2005 |title=Die Pläne zur Reichsreform der Militärkanzlei des Thronfolgers Franz Ferdinand im Spannungsfeld von Trialismus und Föderalismus |trans-title=The plans for imperial reform of the military chancellery of the heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand in the field of tension between trialism and federalism |publisher=Universitätsbibliothek ] |location=] |language=de}}
* {{cite book |last=Popovici |first=Aurel |year=1906 |title=Die Vereinigten Staaten von Groß-Österreich: Politische Studien zur Lösung der nationalen Fragen und staatrechtlichen Krisen in Österreich-Ungarn |trans-title=The United States of Greater Austria: Political studies for the solution of national questions and constitutional crises in Austria-Hungary |location=] |language=de |url=https://diglib.uibk.ac.at/ulbtirol/content/titleinfo/3776060 |format=pdf}}
* {{cite book |last=Teslaru-Born |first=Alina |year=2005 |title=Ideen und Projekte zur Föderalisierung des Habsburgischen Reiches mit besonderer Berücksichtigung Siebenbürgens 1848–1918 (Inauguraldissertation) |trans-title=Ideas and projects for the federalization of the Habsburg Empire with special consideration of Transylvania 1848–1918 (inaugural dissertation) |url=http://deposit.ddb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=983257736&dok_var=d1&dok_ext=pdf&filename=983257736.pdf |publisher=Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität zu Frankfurt am Main |location=]|access-date=10 December 2009 |language=de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131215550/http://deposit.ddb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=983257736&dok_var=d1&dok_ext=pdf&filename=983257736.pdf |archive-date=31 January 2012}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
* *
*


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Latest revision as of 06:12, 26 December 2024

Proposed federal state in Central Europe
Proposed map of the United States of Greater Austria, superimposed on the major ethnic groups of Austria-Hungary

The United States of Greater Austria (German: Vereinigte Staaten von Groß-Österreich) was an unrealised proposal made in 1906 to federalize Austria-Hungary to help resolve widespread ethnic and nationalist tensions. It was conceived by a group of scholars surrounding Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, notably by the ethnic Romanian lawyer and politician Aurel Popovici.

Nationality conflict

The first program for the federalisation of the Habsburg Empire was developed by the Hungarian nobleman Wesselényi Miklós. In his work titled Szózat a magyar és a szláv nemzetiség ügyében, published in Hungarian in 1843 and in German in 1844, he proposed not only social reforms but reforms of the state structure of the Empire and its nationality policy. He aimed to replace the centralized empire with a federation of five states: a German state, a state of Bohemia and Moravia, Galicia as a Polish state, the Italian part of Lombardy and Istria, and the state of historical Hungary.

Another idea came from Hungarian revolutionary Lajos Kossuth: "True liberty is impossible without federalism". Kossuth proposed to transform the Habsburg Empire into a "Danubian State", a federal republic with autonomous regions.

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Compromise partially re-established the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hungary, separate from and no longer subject to the Austrian Empire. However, the favouritism shown to the Magyars, the second largest ethnic group in the dual monarchy after the Germans, caused discontent on the part of other ethnic groups like the Slovaks and Romanians.

In 1900 the greatest problem facing the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary was that it consisted of about a dozen distinctly different ethnic groups, of which only two, the Germans and Hungarians (who together accounted for about 44% of the total population), wielded any power or control. The other ethnic groups, which were not involved in the state affairs, included Slavic (Bosniaks, Croats, Czechs, Poles, Ruthenians, Serbs, Slovaks, Slovenes and Ukrainians) and Romance peoples (Italians, Romanians). Among them, only Croats had limited autonomy in the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia. In the Kingdom of Hungary, several ethnic minorities faced increased pressures of Magyarization.

The population of Hungary according to the census of 1880-81

Franz Ferdinand had planned to redraw the map of Austria-Hungary radically, creating a number of ethnically and linguistically dominated semi-autonomous "states" which would all be part of a larger federation renamed the United States of Greater Austria. Under this plan, language and cultural identification was encouraged, and the imbalance of power would be corrected. The idea would have encountered heavy opposition from Hungarian politicians, since a direct result of the reform would have been a significant territorial loss for Hungary.

However, the Archduke was assassinated at Sarajevo in 1914, triggering the outbreak of the First World War. After the war, Austria-Hungary was dismantled and several new nation-states were created, and various Austro-Hungarian territories were ceded to neighbouring countries at the Paris Peace Conference (see Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Treaty of Trianon).

States proposed by Aurel Popovici

According to Popovici's plans, the following 15 territories were to become states of the federation after the reform. The majority ethnic group within each territory is also listed.

Proposed map of the United States of Greater Austria, by Popovici, 1906

In addition, a number of mostly German-speaking enclaves in eastern Transylvania, the Banat and other parts of Hungary, southern Slovenia, large cities (such as Prague, Budapest, Lviv, and others) and elsewhere were to have autonomy within the respective territory.

"The great origin, language, customs and mentality diversity of different nationalities requires, for the whole Empire of the Habsburgs, a certain state form, which can guarantee that not a single nationality will be threatened, obstructed or offended in its national political life, in its private development, in its national pride, in one word – in its way of feeling and living"

Aurel Popovici (1906)

See also

References

  1. ROMSICS Ignác: A Habsburg Birodalom föderalizálási tervei. In: Európai Utas 2001. IV. sz. http://www.hhrf.org/europaiutas/20014/4.htm Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Pasture, Patrick (2015). Imagining European Unity since 1000 AD. Springer. p. 85. ISBN 9781137480477.
  3. Pasture, Patrick; Neubauer, John (2006). History of the Literary Cultures of East-Central Europe: Junctures and disjunctures in the 19th and 20th centuries. Vol. 2. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 242. ISBN 9789027293404.
  4. "Encyclopædia Britannica: Kossuth article"
  5. Lessons of the War and the Peace Conference : Oreste Ferrara
  6. Gerrits, André; Wolffram, Dirk Jan (2005). Political Democracy and Ethnic Diversity in Modern European History. Stanford University Press. p. 42. ISBN 9780804749763.
  7. Cornwall, Mark (2002). Last Years of Austria-Hungary: A Multi-National Experiment in Early Twentieth-Century Europe (2nd ed.). Exeter: University of Exeter Press.
  8. Seton-Watson, R. W. (1925). "Transylvania since 1867". The Slavonic Review. 4 (10): 101–123.

External links

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