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"Wahrlich, existierte der österreichische Kaiserstaat nicht schon längst, man müsste im Interesse Europas, im Interesse der Humanität selbst sich beeilen, ihn zu schaffen."1

-František Palacký

 

While the quote would date from the year of 1848, the year when liberal and national revolutions rocked the old order of Europe once again, including the venerable Austrian monarchy, which would have to deal with insurgencies in so many of its domains, including Italy, Vienna, Prague and Hungary, it did, in part, express a certain sentiment, a certain truth. Surely, coming from the Father of the Czech nation, it was not a mere statement trying to excuse, what so many later would dub the "prison of nations". It was not a blind oath of allegiance to the Habsburg dynasty, which had kept together the monarchy for so many centuries. No, it was something different. It was an expression of Austroslavism, an acknowledgement of sorts, of what were the positive sides, of the Habsburg state. Of the stability, protection, order, economic freedom, and in part, also harmony, it brought. Values, which would later be sorely missed, when the peoples of the Empire drifted apart and had to realise, the cost of independence for smaller states, in a Central Europe, with new borders, and old powers, vying for dominance. Sure, the monarchy had its issues. But were they so grave, that its end was inevitable? Or were they merely the expression of the usual conflicts of multinational states, of which there were many in history and of which some remain to this day?

 

But enough of this prologue. Our story begins, well, ok. It had already begun years earlier. Or had it? Had Austrian history not already begun centuries earlier? Well, for all intents and purposes, the story begins at this point of time, the 28th of July. What a funny date, to recreate this country on, Josephine thought. The young Archduchess of the House of Austria-Este, looked over the paper presented to her. "So, this is it?" The group of politicians nodded. "Indeed, if your Majesty would sign it, this would finalise the matter." Breathing in and out, Josephine was trying to catch the gravity of the moment, before signing the document with a few swift and fluent movements of her pen. Looking up to the other statesmen, Josephine wold smile. "So, I guess, after all these decades, we are back." After a few moments of silent joy, the new Empress would kindly ask. "So, coffee and cake?"

 

[hr]

 

An Meine Völker!

 

Folgend einem Beschlusse des provisorischen Reichsrats in Wien, zur Reetablierung dieser, unserer Monarchie, wurden unsere Person angesucht die Kaiserwürde Österreichs und der Kronländer zu anzunehmen um im Interesse unseres Staates und seiner Völker zu walten, für Einigkeit und Recht Sorge zu tragen und das österreichische Kaisertum in der ehrenhaften Tradition meiner Vorfahren weiterzuführen.

 

Diese Würde, welche mit viel Verantwortung verbunden ist und sicherlich keine Leichtigkeit sein wird, sind wir, Josephine I. von Österreich-Este bereit anzunehmen. Als Kaiserin von Gottes Gnaden und zurückberufen durch den Willen meiner Untertanen, ist es meine Pflicht für das Wohlergehen der Staatsbürger und Staatsbürgerinnen zu sorgen und mit Fleiß, Verantwortungsbewusstsein, und so Gott will, wird uns dies auch gelingen.

 

Daher, verkünden wir, an diesem 28. Juli, die Neugründung des Kaiserreichs Österreich und seiner Kronländer.

 

Gezeichnet,

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A.E.I.O.U.

 

 

And in English translation (more or less):

[spoiler]

To my Peoples!

 

Following a resolution of the provisory Reichsrat in Vienna, to reestablish the this, our monarchy, our person has been asked to accept the Imperial crown of Austria and its crownlands, in order to rule in the interest of our people, to ensure unity and justice and to continue the Imperial tradition of our ancestors.

 

This honour, which comes with great responsibility and which will surely not be an easy task, we, Josephine I. of Austria-Este are willing to accept. As Empress by the Grace of God and called on by our subjects, it is our duty to ensure the well-being of all our citizens, and with much dilligence, responsibility and God's assistence, we shall succeed.

 

Thus, we proclaim on this 28th of July, the refounding of the Empire of austria and its crownlands.

 

Signed,

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A.E.I.O.U.

 

[/spoiler]

 

[hr]

 

1"Truely, would the Austrian Monarchy not already exist since long ago, one would have in the interest of Europe, in the interest of humanity itself, to hurry creating it."

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The Empire of Tianxia extends its gladdened congratulations on the return of Austria, and allow me to be the first to recognize this new Royal House as the Royal House of Austria, as both the oldest child of the last Hapsburg Empress, and as Emperor of Tianxia.  It is my hope our friendship continue with my long lost cousins.

 

-Yuan Shizi

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The Empire of Tianxia extends its gladdened congratulations on the return of Austria, and allow me to be the first to recognize this new Royal House as the Royal House of Austria, as both the oldest child of the last Hapsburg Empress, and as Emperor of Tianxia.  It is my hope our friendship continue with my long lost cousins.

 

-Yuan Shizi

"In the name of my people and also personally, I thank you for your kind words and recognition of our country. It is our hope that friendly relations can indeed continue and grow. To this end, I would hope that at a later point of time, once matters settled down here somewhat, a meeting can be arranged."

-Josephine von Österreich-Este

Saudi Arabia recognizes the new Austrian Empire, and hopes to do business with it soon. 

"Our country thanks Arabia for its recognition of our country. I am sure that there can be business opportunities between our two countries."

-Josephine von Österreich-Este

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As an administrative model, obviously, the Dual Monarchy had failed. Horribly so. Josephine by all means hated this part of Austrian history. Sure, it was a culturally and scientifically great era, but it had been lousy politically. It was after all born from Hungarian pressure following the fighting at Königgrätz and it would seal the fate of the monarchy in the long run. To Josephine, the autonomy of Hungary had multiple faults. First and foremost, it would lead to a clear distinction between Germans and Hungarians, and the Slavs. Those that enjoyed autonomy, and those who did not. Second, and equally aggravitating, it gave Hungary the necessary majority to attempt to Magyarise their half of the monarchy. While Cisleithania progressively concluded further settlements (Ausgleiche) with its remaining parts, to satisfy local nationalities' demands for cultural autonomy, Hungary had none of this, rather trying to build a Hungarian nation state within the Empire. This naturally was the cause of much dismay among the Slavs within Hungary. Lastly, the partition of Austria into Austria-Hungary would lay the foundation of endless pickering between Austria and Hungary, as they had to decide on common budgets, military bills and foreign policy, which pretty much led to the Magyars starving the army of funding. Austria-Hungary, in the years leading up to the war, invested much less in terms of percentage of its GDP into the Army than any other European power. With the obvious results. That austria still was in the war until 1918 without completely falling apart, like for example Russia did, was mostly due to the remaining inner strength, German support and the gallantry of the Austrian soldier. Naturally, during the war, Cisleithania and Transleithania both came to be even more distanced from each other, as year for year, they had to agree on how much grain went from Hungary to Austria. Naturally, as food was rationed across the monarchy, the Hungarians rather not decrease their share of the food, altough they were the granary of the Dual Monarchy.

 

Thus, there would be no Ausgleich the way there was in 1867. There would be no national settlement solely with Hungary and no such splitting of executive power, prone to blockade. Instead, the new administration would take up an idea from a Romanian subject of the monarchy, Aurel Popovici, the so-called United States of Greater Austria. Naturally, the name would not stick, but that was the least of the issues.

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The "United States of Greater Austria" as envisioned by Popovici in 1906

 

Following Popovici's proposal, which at the time did have a following among influential politicians, chiefly the heir to the crown, Archduke Franz Ferdinand von Österreich-Este, the monarchy was to be split into multiple federal subjects, following traditional and ethnical lines, with multiple enclaves, mostly due to "German" Austrians living outside "German-Austria". With local cultural, linguistic and some administrative autonomy, it was thought to equally provide rights for all the people of Greater Austria, and transform the stark inbalance of 1867 into a federation of sorts. It was partly related to other such sentiments, such as Trialism and Austroslavism, the other two movements trying to empower slavic parts of the Dual Monarchy in exchange for their loyalty. And this would also be picked up by Josephine. Just as her ancestor had envisioned, the monarchy would be a federation of sorts. Autonomy at home, Solidarity abroad, was the maxime that would be adopted, to mark a band of nations, which wuld develop themselves within a framework more or less freely, while standing together firmly when dealing with foreign agents, making Austria at least somewhat of a factor, instead of splintering the power among the many parts it consisted of.

 

Naturally, this would need some amendments to where borders were to be drawn, but overall, this would be the new structure of the Empire. With each part having its own parliament, subject to the one supreme parliament in Vienna, the Reichsrat. It was very practical in this regard, that the Austrian Republic, following the demise of the monarchy, had found the old Reichsrat hall to be far too large and had created its own hall for the Nationalrat. It would thus need little change to host two parliaments in Vienna, in the same building. The Reichsrat, for all the Kronländer there were, and the Nationalrat, for the Erbländer that made up Deutschösterreich.

 

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Reichsrat in Vienna

 

The politicians that had created this Union, shared a vision. A modern and lasting monarchy, guarantor of freedom and safety to the many small nationalities along the Danube, continuity with the power of old, somewhat progressive towards the furture. And truely, for such a Union, they would now lay the foundation.

Edited by Evangeline Anovilis
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As the Austrian monarchy had a traditional interest in the Southern German regions, due to shared cultural customs, shared faith and a fair history of cooperation, not to mention the recent union of these states, which had created close economic ties, the Austrian government would not merely leave southern Germany to decline, while the rest of Austria marched forward. Nor would Austria sit idly by, as its former partners got amalgamated into some other state.

 

Austrian soldiers of the Landwehr would be deploying into Southern Germany, as soon as news of Prussian deployments had come. Coming via Oberösterreich, Vorarlberg and Bohemia, they'd march into Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Saxony, so as to protect the independence of these German states. They would fly the Austrian black-gold flag, as well as the flags of the respective states they were to police. Together with military police, these units would be there to keep order and to cooperate with civil authorities, while defending the sovereignity of these states.

 

A diplomatic note would be sent to Berlin, reading as following.

 

"The Imperial government of Austria, following a decree passed by the Reichsrat, has found it necessary to extent Austrian protection over Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Saxony, three states where our country has a political and economic interest in preserving their independence and sovereignity. While we acknowledge that Prussia feels a need to protect fellow Germans, we would like to reassure that these states will be afforded full protection and that we would hope Prussia to acknowledge the sovereignity of these states under our continued protection. Should it be necessary, I'd be willing to personally meet with your Foreign Minister, in order to discuss the events in Southern Germany, so as to avoid unnecessary tragedy.

 

Signed,

Rudolph Erlach Freiherr von Bruck, Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs"

 

 

Meanwhile, Landwehr in the remaining parts of the monarchy would just hope that nothing bad happened and merely keep an eye on the border, without doing much else.

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"The Imperial government of Austria, following a decree passed by the Reichsrat, has found it necessary to extent Austrian protection over Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Saxony, three states where our country has a political and economic interest in preserving their independence and sovereignity. While we acknowledge that Prussia feels a need to protect fellow Germans, we would like to reassure that these states will be afforded full protection and that we would hope Prussia to acknowledge the sovereignity of these states under our continued protection. Should it be necessary, I'd be willing to personally meet with your Foreign Minister, in order to discuss the events in Southern Germany, so as to avoid unnecessary tragedy.

Signed,
Rudolph Erlach Freiherr von Bruck, Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs"

 

 

A response would be sent from Berlin to Vienna.

 

"Minister von Bruck,

 

The current government in Vienna holds no right to extend protection over areas that are under the Prussian flag. The people of southern Germany have held a treaty of integration with the Prussian state for over a decade, as witnessed and agreed to by the former government of Austria. Vienna's unwillingness, or lack of ability, to protect the people of southern Germany from anarchy has rendered any historic claims of theirs as moot. While Berlin is open to discussions with our neighbors, we are not willing to negotiate the abandonment of southern Germany. Any discussion between our two nations must recognize Prussia as holding full sovereignty, and ownership, over the lands of Germany.

 

Further attempts at military incursion into Prussian lands will result in appropriate defensive measures by Prussia and her allies.

 

With Kind Regards,

 

Klaus Spreckles

Minister for Foreign Affairs"

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A note would be sent back to Berlin from Vienna.

 

"Minister Spreckles,

 

As the Austrian Empire sees itself not bound to the treaties signed by the Austrian state preceeding us, and thus has no such agreement with Prussia, we would like to point out that your incursion into the territory of Southern Germany is hardly tolerable, nor is your uncooperative response. We will not acknowledge Prussian sovereignity over these lands, much less ownership. Prussia claims that austria has not acted to preserve Southern Germany from anarchy, yet our forces have entered into these "anarchic" lands no later than Prussian forces. By what right does Prussia condemn us thus?

 

The Austrian Empire does hope that Prussia shows a more cooperative approach to the matter at hand, instead of solving issues with Prussian militarism, for we do not take well to be threatened by military action. For the time being, austrian troops will uphold proper protection and order in our protectorate and should Prussia want to seek a diplomatic solution, it is welcome to ask for a meeting.

 

With regards,

Rudolph Erlach Freiherr von Bruck, Minister of Foreign Affairs"

 

Austrian troops in Southern Germany would be on guard, in order to keep unpleasant surprises to a minimum.

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