Re: CHAT: Austro-Hungarians and Imperialism

Am 11/17 17:58  Thomas R. Wier yscrifef:

> No, the Austro-Hungarian Empire didn't just fall apart at all
> after the war -- it had practically already done so by 1918.
> The Treaty of Versailles was just the icing on the cake, just
> the confirmation of what was already de facto the case.
>
I read Roland's original message this morning and spent the rest of the
day speculating what would have been the results of a decision not to
break up the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  It appears to me that after the
death of the emperor Franz Josef the house of Habsburg was exhausted and
popularly lost the mandate to govern.  If they had survived they would
have been a shadow monarchy while stronger men governed in their name.
I would suggest that a civil war could have broken out between the
different peoples of the empire, and like in Spain, this would have been
resolved by outside intervention, most likely to the satisfaction of the
ruling powers of Germany and Italy.  Perhaps a leader could have risen
through this who could have had the independence of a Franco and saved
lives that would have otherwised died in war and holocaust, more likely
is that the Austrian Germans would have been absorbed into Greater
Germany and the same results would have occured.

Further speculation, I suggest, could be directed to the Conculture
list.

- andrew.
--
Andrew Smith, Intheologus                       hobbit@earthlight.co.nz

            "Death is an evil; the gods have so judged it;
                  had it been good, they would die."
                                        - Sappho of Lesbos.