Austria=German States

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Hey,


We was talking about Austria in 1648 +, After Westpehila Treaty and the German States,and my History Teacher saids Austria was a German State, but I disargee, because Austria was in my opinion, was it's own actually Countr then (and it's still called Austria now...). What you guys think?

[AntiochusIII]

Austria proper was -- and still is -- predominantly German (Why do you think the Nazi propaganda machine trumpeted the annexation of Austria as "Anschluss"?). The administration of the Habsburgs also was quite noticeably dominated to an extent by Germans, rather than "natives" of the lands which the Habsburgs held.

The Habsburg holdings are vast, true, and many important regions are not at all German; be it Magyar, Slovak, Czech, Slavic, or later on Italian. But it wasn't far-fetched to call the Habsburg Empire a German state.

Moreover, a significant part of Habsburg foreign policy after 1648 was still focused on keeping its ambition in Germany alive.

Prussia wasn't really a contender in unifying Germany until Frederick the Great reformed and militarized his state into an efficient war machine capable of facing up on other Great Powers on equal terms.

The Austrian ambition in the unification of Germany, despite severe blows from the Seven Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars, and the Revolution of 1848, wasn't really killed until Bismarck beat them in the Seven Weeks War and confirmed Prussia's dominance, which forced the "German" Austrian state to recognize the Hungarians as partners-in-government if they hoped to keep their empire together.

[CBR]

Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire and the Hapsburgs were IIRC emperors until HRE was disbanded in 1806. So I'd say that made Austria a German state.

Prussia just ended up being stronger and unified the rest of the German states with the Prussian king also being emperor of Germany.


CBR