1. Nationalism Threatens Old Empires
110-4
Pages

2. A Declining Empire
In 1800 the Hapsburgs were the oldest ruling house in Europe
In addition to their homeland of Austria over the centuries they had acquired the territories of Romania, Poland, Ukraine, and northern Italy

3. Challenge of Change
Since the Congress of Vienna the Austrian Emperor Francis I and Metternich his foreign minister had upheld conservative goals against liberal forces
“Rule and change nothing” the emperor told his son.
Under Francis and Metternich newspapers could not even use the word constitution much less this key demand of liberals
The government also tried to limit industrial development which would threaten traditional ways of life
Austria however could not hold back the changes that were engulfing the rest of Europe
Soon the Hapsburgs found themselves facing the problems of industrial life that had long been familiar in Britain the growth of cities, worker discontent, and the string of socialism

4. A Patchwork of People
The Hapsburgs presided over a multinational empire
Of its 50 million people at mid-century fewer than a quarter were German-speaking Austrians
Almost half belonged to different Slavic groups
Including Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes
Often rival groups shared the same region
The empire also included large numbers of Hungarians and Italians
The Hapsburgs ignored nationalist demands as long as they could
“Peoples?” Francis I once exclaimed “What does that mean I only know subjects”
When Nationalists revolts broke out across the Hapsburgs empire in 1848 the government broke them

5. Early Reforms
Amid the turmoil 18-year-old Francis Joseph inherited the Hapsburg throne
He would rule until 1916 presiding over the empire during the fading days of WWI
An early challenge came when Austria suffered its humiliating defeat at the hands of France and Sardinia in 1859
Francis Joseph realized he needed to strengthen the empire at home
He granted a new constitution that set up legislature
This body however was dominated by German-speaking Austrians the reforms thus satisfied none of the other national groups that populated the empire.
The Hungarians especially were determined to settle for nothing less than total self-government

6. The Dual Monarchy
Austria’s disastrous defeat in the 1866 war with Prussia brought renewed pressure for change from the Hungarians within the empire
One year later Francis Deak a moderate Hungarian leader helped work out a compromise that created a new political power known as the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary
Under the agreement Austria and Hungary were two separate states
Each had its own constitution and parliament
Francis Joseph ruled both as emperor of Austria and King of Hungary
The two states also shared ministries of finance, defense, and foreign affairs but were independent of each other in all other areas

7. The Dual Monarchy cont.
Although Hungarians welcomed the compromise other subject peoples resented it
Restlessness increased among various Slavic groups especially the Czechs in Bohemia
Some nationalist leaders called on Slavs to unite insisting that “only through liberty, equality, and fraternal solidarity” could Slavs fulfill their “great mission in the history of mankind”
By the early 1900s nationalist unrest often left the government paralyzed in the face of pressing political and social problems

8. Balkan Nationalism
Like the Hapsburgs the Ottomans ruled a multinational empire
It stretched from Eastern Europe and the Balkans to North Africa and the Middle East
There as in Austria nationalist demands tore at the fabric of the empire
In the Balkans Serbia had won autonomy in 1817 and southern Greece won independence in the 1830s
But many Serbs and Greeks lived in the Balkans under Ottoman rule
The Ottoman empire was home to other national groups such as Bulgarians and Romanians
During the 1800s various subject peoples staged revolts against the Ottomans hoping to set up their own independent states

9. Balkan Nationalism cont.
Such nationalist stirrings became mixed up with the ambitions of the great European powers
In the mid-1800s Europeans came to see the Ottoman empire as “the sick man of Europe”
They scrambled to divide up Ottoman land
Russia pushed toward the Black Sea and Istanbul
Austria-Hungary took control of the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina
This action angered the Serbs who had also hoped to expand in that area
Meanwhile Britain and France set their sights on other Ottoman Lands in the Middle East and North Africa
Russia fought several wars against the Ottomans
France and Britain sometimes joined the Russians and sometimes joined the Ottomans
Germany supported the Austrian authority over the discontented national groups
But they also encouraged the Ottomans because of their strategic location in the eastern Mediterranean
By the early 1900s observers were referring to the region as the “Balkan Powder Keg”
The explosion that came in 1914 helped set off WWI

10. Review
Francis Joseph-Emperor of Austria till 1916, took over at 18 in 1848 and eventually became King of Hungary in the dual Monarchy which split his kingdom. During his reign Austria lost wars and lost territory, and suffered from many different nationalities claiming nationalism in his empire, but Franz Josef was always popular among all his people.
Dual Monarchy-Hungary separated from Austria, kept Francis Joseph as ruler and share finance, defense, and foreign affairs but were independent in all other aspects
Explain how nationalism affected the Austrian Empire
In 1867, Austria formed the Dual Monarchy with Hungary. Other ethnic groups felt left out and continued to press the government for national freedom. These groups included the Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.
A. How was the Dual Monarchy organized
Austria and Hungary were united by a common king and various ministries, but each had its own constitution and parliament.
B. Why did it fail to end nationalist demands?
Other nationalities in the empire gained little from this settlement and continued to demand national independence.

11. Review cont.
How did Balkan nationalism contribute to the decline of the Ottoman Empire?
Various ethnic groups were demanding independence from the Ottoman empire. European powers competed for influence in the region. The region became known as the “Powder Keg of Europe”
Do you think that the Hapsburg’s or the Ottoman Turks could have built a modern, unified nation from their multi-national empires?
No probably not… many people in those empires felt loyalty not to the empire but to their local areas. The multi-national makeup would have made a modern nation almost impossible.
A. What actions did Francis Joseph take to maintain power in Austria- Hungary?
He introduced limited reforms, kept legislature filled with German-Speaking Austrians.
B. How else might he have responded to nationalist demands?
He might have encouraged inclusion of more ethnic groups in the legislature, giving them a voice in government.

12. Bibliography http://emperorcharles.org http://2.bp.blogspot.com