Analyze The Effects Of Nationalism On The Austrian Empire In The Period 1815 To 1914.

Analyze The Effects Of Nationalism On The Austrian Empire In The Period 1815 To 1914.

The Austrian Empire was once one of the strongest in Europe. Full of an endless number of cultures, artists, composers, and writers it seemed to be an important jewel of Europe. But its diversity was ultimately its downfall. When nationalism took hold all of the different groups of nationalities wanted their independence, they wanted national statehood. This caused turmoil and instability within the Empire. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, an agreement in which the Habsburgs agreed to share power with the separate Hungarian government, dividing the territory of the former Austrian Empire between them, the Empire became known as Austria-Hungary or the Austro-Hungarian Empire.   The Austro-Hungarian Empire brought together Hungarians, Germans, Czechs, Slovaks, Croats, Poles, Serbs, and Italians. In 1866, Prussia defeated Austria in the Austro-Prussian War. This victory earned Prussia control of the new North German Federation. Then, pressured by the Hungarians, Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria split his empire in half, declaring Austria and Hungary independent states—with himself as ruler of both. These weren’t the last of nationalist disputes for the Empire though. Soon, new nations would emerge from the crumbling of this once powerful European Empire. These new and powerful countries would be Italy and Germany. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Austria ruled the Italian provinces of Venetia and Lombardy in the north, and several small states. In the south, the Spanish Bourbon family ruled the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Between 1815 and 1848, increasing numbers of Italians were no longer content to live under foreign rulers. Amid growing discontent, two leaders appeared. They had different personalities and pursued different goals. But each contributed to the unification of Italy. Like Italy, Germany also achieved national unity in the mid-1800s. Since 1815, 39 German states had formed a loose grouping called the German Confederation. The...