Austria-Hungary’s Decline

1. Austria-Hungary’s Decline Academic World History II

2. Austria-Hungary’s Decline • There were 3 major powers in early 1800s eastern Europe. • Russia • Ottoman Empire • Austria • The Austrian Empire contained 11 different national groups. • Austria lacked national and geographic unity. • Like Russia, Austria's economy was based on agriculture. • A powerful nobility controlled the land and the peasant population.

3. The Revolution of 1848 • The principal political figure in Austria during the early 1800s was Prince Klemens von Metternich. • Throughout his rule as minister of foreign affairs (1809-48) he worked to crush all revolutionary activity. • The revolutionary movement that started in France spread to Austria. • Nationalist groups demanded freedom of speech/press, freeing of peasants, and representative government. • At age 18, Francis Joseph took over as emperor. • He dissolved the revolutionary assembly and rejected the constitution.

4. The Dual Monarchy • Several challenges would be presented to Francis Joseph’s empire. • In 1848, Hungarian nationalists (Magyars) declared independence. • It was unsuccessful, but Francis Joseph realized that he needed better relations with the Hungarians. • Francis Joseph met with Hungarian leader Francis Deak to try to work out a compromise. • In 1867, the Ausgleich restored Hungary’s independence and established a dual monarchy. • Francis Joseph was ruler of both areas.

5. The Dual Monarchy, cont. • Austria and Hungary depended on each other economically. • After the dual monarchy was declared, Austria began to industrialize more rapidly. • Bohemia and Moravia became urban centers. • The dual monarchy satisfied the Austrians and the Magyars. • Other nationalities, including the Slavs, were unhappy. • Many Slavs, who had no voice in government, wanted to break free and form a large Slavic kingdom.

6. Powder Keg in the Balkans • By the mid-1800s, the Ottoman Empire was weakening. • Other countries watched the decline, hoping to expand in this region. • Austria, France, and Great Britain wanted to prevent Russian expansion into these areas. • During the Crimean War allies helped protect the Ottoman Empire from Russian expansion. • The Ottoman Empire continued to lose power and territory in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

7. The Congress of Berlin • Russia went to war with the Ottoman Empire in 1877. • Russia used the Slavic nationalist movement to justify expansion. • The treaty of San Stefano ended this war and created a Bulgarian state which was controlled by Russia. • European countries protested the treaty of San Stefano. • Jingoism, or extreme patriotism, developed in Great Britain. • Many British wanted to go to war with Russia. • European leaders met in Berlin to revise the treaty in 1878.

8. Balkan Conflict • Bulgaria was divided into three parts. • One part remained under Ottoman rule. • Serbia, Montenegro, and Romania became independent. • Britain gained Cyprus, Austria-Hungary controlled Bosnia and Herzegovina. • The Congress of Berlin satisfied few. • By 1912, people of the Balkans joined forces to free members of their nationalities from Ottoman rule. • The Balkan League, which consisted of Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia declared war on Turkey in 1912. • The Ottomans lost all of their European territory except for Istanbul.

9. Balkan Conflict, cont. • Members of the Balkan league began to fight among themselves. • Serbia and Bulgaria had secretly arranged land distribution in the event that the Balkan League won. • After the victory, Bulgaria refused to go along with the agreement. • This led to another Balkan War when Bulgaria attacked Greek and Serb forces in the disputed areas. • Other Balkan states joined the effort against Bulgaria. • The Treaty of Bucharest ended this war in 1913. • Bulgaria, which lost the war, surrendered much of the land it previously won.

10. The treaty of Bucharest didn’t bring peace. • Serbia’s increased power was a threat to Austria-Hungary. • Russia sought to gain land and influence in the Balkans. • The French, British, and Germans wanted to preserve the balance of power and keep Austria-Hungary and Russia from gaining more power. • The “Powder Keg of Europe” would soon erupt into a major European conflict.