Austria/Hungary Economic Progress

Austria/Hungary throughout the year has been a very interesting country to follow as its power and overall economy was flourishing at times and at others it has been in a state of great despair and depression. During the 14th-15th centuries while the Hapsburgs ruled Austria, it was a promising nation that had a strong army as well as a strong economy. Then after the fall of the Hapsburgs Austria soon after became a world power by acquiring Hungary in 1699 making it a force to be reckoned with. Years later as alliances came and went Austria developed a close tie with Germany that for a time made it an even stronger nation with a booming economy in preparation for WWI. Sadly, Austria/Hungary was harshly defeated and its economy was thrown 10 steps backwards as it had to pay war reparations and rebuild. After WWI though the Austria-Hungarian empire split and Hungary once again became its own nation.

Austria/Hungary Social Progress

As the history of Europe progressed, many social changes came about. Through critcal time periods like the Black Death, Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, and the many revolutions, Europe drastically progressed socially. During the Renaissance, people came to revivals and inspirations from classicism, and socially, people began to think outside of the box. The Reformation also had major social effects, as it completely changed peoples views on religion and the church. The Enlightenment was also a major factor in social progress, as it was responsible for many changes including the new concepts of freedom, democracy and reason as primary values of society. There were also many revolutions in European history, and these were also very important in social progress. People began to revolt, think for themselves, and work together to enforce their own change. Instead of being ruled, society became the rulers.

Austria's Political Progression During The MEH Period

Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, Austria/Hungary was under the rule of the Hapsburg's. After their collapse, Austria became a world power and then in 1699, gained control of all of Hungary. Then in 1797, Austria went to war with France and after defeat to Napoleon, the H.R.E. fell in 1806. German-Austrian relations lead to an alliance that lasted throughout WWI and into WWII. Although Austria lost both of these wars, they escaped most of the blame when Germany was given heavy reparations and very negative treaty terms (especially in WWI).

Austria's political system became a federal, democratic republic in their 1920 constitution. The leader of Austria's parliament is and was a federal president that is elected by popular vote.

Austria progressed from the extrememly conservative government under Metternich to a democratic and free country.

Progress in Eastern Europe: Effects on Austria/Hungary

With the fall of communism came a whole new era of reform and rebuilding in eastern Europe. Countries were no longer divided by ideological competition and the cold war, and as the situation progressed, more and more independent states sprouted up. The transitions from communism to nationalism were tough, but many observers have agreed that Hungary, along with Poland and the Czech Republic, were most successful in the transition. Each of these three countries me the critical challenge of economic reconstruction more successfully than Russia, and each could claim to be the economic leader in easter Europe. The causes for these successes were considerable experience with limited market reforms before 1989, flexibility and lack of dogmatism in government policy, and an enthusiastic embrace of capitalism by a new entrepreneurial class.

WWII Effect on Austria

Austria was effected in WWII in a crucial and rather tyrannical way. Hitler and the Nazi's essentially demanded Austria to join Germany and with little resistance the job was done. Hitler gave Austria an ultimatum to be annexed or be invaded and fearing this invasion Austria succumbed. In 1938 one year before WWII, Germany officially annexed Austria as part of the anschluss. This led to the Austrian people becoming assimilated into the German society and the Nazi way of life where Hitler converted thousands of Austrians into Nazi soldiers. Numerous concentration camps were also set up that led to the deaths of a vast amount of innocent Jews. As the war progressed Austrian cities were obliterated by the Allied forces and thousands of lives were lost in the gruesome process. All in all, after the war Austria disbanded from Germany and began to rebuild its way of life after suffering

The Cold War's Effect On Austria

After WWII ended, Austria's ally, Germany, had to accept and unconditional surrender and was taken over by the allied powers. This obviously had negative effects on Austria because their strongest ally had been destroyed. Soon after WWII had subsided, Russia (under Stalin) began to spread communism onto its eastern bordering/neighboring countries. After the fall of countries such as Poland, Eastern Germany, Czechoslovakia, etc. to Communism, Austria (as one of these close/bordering countries) must have been weary of being taken over. Stalin, in an effort to spread communism by any costs, could have made Austria communist in two ways. One was to take over Austria by force and make them submit to communism or they could have brought/left people there to teach and spread communism in a peaceful manner. When this did not work, Austria ended becoming a "Nonallied Western Country."

Impact of Physics on Austria/Hungary

With the efforts of people like Marie Curie, Max Planck, Ernest Rutherford, and Albert Einstein, a new age of physics was thrust upon all of Europe. These people formed a whole new field of science known as physics, and the effects of these discoveries were tremendous. People began to see the universe in a whole new way, coming to a realization that the universe was very uncertain and undetermined. Very quickly, physics became the queen of science and many Europeans felt compelled to delve deeper into the great potential of physics. A whole new age of anxiety began to form, as millions of men and women were puzzled at the a universe that completely lacked any absolute objective reality.

900-916

During the Great War, Austria exercised many of the same actions as the other countries did. For example, immediately after the war, women were given the right to vote. However, also like other countries the loyalty to the state started to decrease through 1916. Unrest continued throughout that year, as Austria's chief minister was assasinated in October by a Socialist, and Emperor Francis Joseph died one month later. With the loss of the emperor came a loss of unity, as the many nationalities in the Austria-Hungary region began to feel angry for their ethnicity again.

On November 3, 1918, Austria-Hungary surrendered. With their defeat, the centuries-old Habsburg dynasty was replaced by variouis republics, and Austria, along with Germany, was declared responsible for the war. In addition, Hungary ceded some land to the many disputed nationalities, and Austria also lost some land to Italy. The result of World War I was not very good for Austria-Hungary.

Peasants View of The Triumphs of Science

With science, our world has been drastically changed. Througb the efforts of men like Louis Pasteur, Dmitri Mendeleev, and Michael Faraday, we are in the middle of a revolution in science. Concepts such as aerodynamics, laws of science, the period table, organic chemistry, and electromagnetism are all highlights that the amazing science field presents us. Many people I know have developed a growing interest in the sciences, as there seems to be a massive wave of interest overcoming Europe. Even now at such this primitive stage, we are beginning to see science rub off in many parts of our lives, especially in the fast growing electrical and chemical industries!

Peasants/Middle Class view of changing lifestyle in Austria

I am overjoyed to see our miserable way of life taking a dramatic turn for the better as our major cities finally become cleaner. The reconstruction of cities here in Austria so that there is a vast array of parks and sewage systems makes the cities a far better place to reside for me and my family. In addition to these achievements modern medicine has also improved by uncovering the root of a vast amount of diseases being bacteria and the overall filth that the cities used to posses. These problems have been dealt with promptly and now our society is flourishing as state of the art electric street cars have even been installed to transport us from our home to job. Finally, I'm also excited by how much of a difference there is in the upbringing of our children then there was when I was a young boy. Today we have a more personal tie towards our children and tend to have less children so we can establish a more personal connection which I can truly say is a better experience then not even knowing some of your childrens own names.

Peasants view of changing lifestyle in Austria

I am overjoyed to see our miserable way of life taking a dramatic turn for the better as our major cities finally become cleaner. The reconstruction of cities here in Austria so that there is a vast array of parks and sewage systems makes the cities a far better place to reside for me and my family. In addition to these achievements modern medicine has also improved by uncovering the root of a vast amount of diseases being bacteria and the overall filth that the cities used to posses. These problems have been dealt with promptly and now our society is flourishing as state of the art electric street cars have even been installed to transport us from our home to job. Finally, I'm also excited by how much of a difference there is in the upbringing of our children then there was when I was a young boy. Today we have a more personal tie towards our children and tend to have less children so we can establish a more personal connection which I can truly say is a better experience then not even knowing some of your childrens own names.

Metternich's View of the Taming of the City

Here in Austria, under my conservative influence, I have been very impressed with the improvements in western Europe and I am very happy about them. For years, the disgusting state of Europe's cities were horrible for the economy and the health of our people, and if they remained nothing good could possibly have come out of it. There would have likely been various reforms and revolts to improve conditions, whether they be living (maybe demanding more space), traveling (easier travel), and probably healthier and cleanlier conditions in general (even I must admit that the excess of sewage and drainage in the open public is disgusting). Thankfully, the groundbreaking developments of the German, French, and British scientits have possibly found new discoveries to prevent illnesses. A healthier population can only be good for a country. I would also like to congratulate the baron Georges Haussmann, for some excellent work that he did on Paris. He has impoved conditions in almost every way, and already Vienna is following that city's example of tearing down old walled fortifications to be replaced by broad, circular boulevards on which new buildings can be built. Something I particularly like is the way he plans his broad streets, to make it more difficult to construct revolutionary or rebelling defenses. I hope that one day these vast improvements can fully be excercised in Austria.

-Prince Metternich

Austria and Metternich's View on the Romantic Movement

When the new reforms started to become popular in Europe, Austria, under Metternich, had a very strong view on such things as romaticism and liberalism. Metternich was a very strong conservatist and therefore hated change in society or government. Romanticism in particular was a very drastic change in art, literature, and in society. Romanticists expressed a love and simplicity in/for color and nature which was unlike what conservative Austria would have been. Austria, along with the Holy Alliance, tried to stand out and fight against new ideologies. Although they were unsuccessful in Grece when the revolution occured and in other countries, Austria under Metternich remained a strong conservative country (at least until 1848 when their own revolution occured).

Austria's views on France

Austria would have been very happy with the result of the Congress of Vienna. They were rewarded with a large empire, but also a very diverse one. Their leader was the charismatic Prince Metternich, who was very conservative, anti-liberal, pro-legitimacy, and hated revolutions. Obviously, he would not have been very happy with France, which at the time was characterized by its revolutions (often bloody), political upheavals, and constant unrest. Because of his hatred of these characteristics, he established the Holy Alliance, with Russia and Prussia. Before the Congress, Austria as a whole was probably hostile and fearful of France (due to their immense empire), while remaining in a shaky alliance. After, they were probably satisfied with them (due to the results) but still cautious.

Austria's views on Austria

The Congress of Vienna had a very favorable outcome for Austria where Russia luckily didn't take control of a vast amount of land which would have been a crippling blow to Austria. Prussia though to Austria's obvious dislike received the most amount of territories not Austria and they disagreed with how western Germany should be split up. Austria was also happy that France received its 1792 land-holdings leaving more land for the taking. All in all besides a few dis-agreements Austria came out of the Congress of Vienna with a rather favorable amount of land and profit.

Austria's view on Russia

We have become increasingly worried about the Russian influence in Poland and Central Europe. The Russians think that this Congress is theirs, and that they can take whatever land they feel. Well, Austria will not let out oppoenents accomplish this. Russia's troops have already occupied Paris, Poland, Saxony, and parts of Germany. Luckily we have developed a pretty good relationship with Castlereagh and Hardenberg, so maybe we will be able to sway their opinions regarding what Russia does and doesn't get.

Austria's View of Prussia

During the time of the Congress of Vienna, the Austrian Empire would have had several views on Prussia. Their first view would be that in order for Austria to gain the lands that it wants, they would have to cooperate with Prussia. The Austrians and Prussians were willing to do this although they did not have a very good relationship.

Another view that Austria had concerning Prussia was that Austria and Prussia would not agree on everything. This is because although both sides were willing to cooperate, both sides had a different view on some issues. For example, the form (that was wanted by Austria) to be taken by the German Confederation differed from that of Prussia. Austria wanted a Weak Austrian Confederation while Prussia wanted a Weak Austro-Prussian Confederation.

A third and last view concerning Prussia was that Austria completely disagreed with them. For example, Hardenburg of Prussia wanted Prussian domination of Western Germany, Austrian's Metternich could not agree with this proposal and because of this, problems obviously arose.

All in all, Austria's view on Prussia was that they were willing to cooperate and had a good relationship with them. This did not mean however that Prussia and Austria agreed on each others' proposals completely.

Austria/Hungary, circa 1790-1815

While the focus of Europe during this era was predominantly France, there was still some significant events to happen regarding Austria. In June 1791, Louis XVI made a failed attempt to escape France with is wife, Austria's own Marie Antoinette. In response, Austria along with Prussia issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, which declared their willingness to intervene in France in specific circumstances. Later, in 1791 through 1792 France fought a political war against tyranny, defending their liberal government. In April 1792, France declared war on Habsburg monarch Francis II, who was eventually joined by the Austrian Netherlands and Prussia to form the First Coalition, against France. The Coalition was not awfully successful; by November 1792 France was occupying the entire Austrian Netherlands. Even with nearly all of Europe fighting against it, France was still victorious.

In 1799, France entered a new era, that of Napoleon. Austria's first involvement in this time came with the peace talks Napoleon sent there ans well as Great Britain, which were the two remaining memebers of the Second Coalition (formed in 1798). Austria foolishly rejected, and was defeated in battle, and in the Treaty of Luneville (1801), they lost nearly all of their Italian possessions. Throughout the coming years, France would reshape the newly acquired German states to weaken Austria.

Austria, Russia, Sweden, and Britain formed the Third Coalition against France in 1805. Francis II believed that Napoleon's assumption of the Italian crown was a threat to the balance of power in Europe. But once again, Austria suffered a large territorial loss (in return for peace) at the Battle of Austerliz in December 1805. When Napoleon established the German Confederation of the Rhine, Austria (along with Prussia and Saxony) was not included. At this point, Austria-Hungary was allied with France, but clearly surrounded and cornered by it's empire.

While Napoleon was making his way home after a disastrous Russian campaign, Austria foreign minister Prince Klemens von Metternich proposed Napoleon would retain his crown if France were to reduce to historical size. When he refused, Austria desserted France and joined Prussia, Russia, and Britain in the Fourth Coalition. This time, they were successful.

Austria/Hungary's attitude towards Napoleon

This man has gone totally out of his mind! He has become an egomaniacal tyrant who is plotting to take over all of Europe. Something must be done about this situation before the realm of Napoleon has become to great and powerful. No matter what we do, Napoleon always comes out on top, almost as if he knows what moves we are going to make. The people here in Austria/Hungary have become very scared of what may happen should Napoleon continue to constantly win more and more battles. We have already become a part of his empire, so for now we must play along with his crazy plot. Either that or our people will be destroyed! Many have begun to pray that Russia will be able to prevent this man from taking over all of Europe....


Andrew Mortillo

The Atlantic Economy (645-655)

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Atlantic Ocean was extremely vital to Europe's economy, and played a huge role in numerous events across not only The continent of Europe but also in the scattered oversea colonies. The Austria-Hungary area of Europe was not affect too much, though. Geographically, it was in the middle of a land mass and not anywhere near the Atlantic Ocean, or really any bodies of water for that matter. While Austria was not involved in any slave trades or oversea empires, the area would cause worldly conflicts. In the War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748), in which Frederick the Great of Prussia seized Silesia from Austria's Maria Theresa, the fighting eventually make its way as far as India and North America, in Anglo-French conflicts (England and France were huge rivals in the Atlantic economy). Maria Theresa, a Habsburg, would continue her pursuit to regain Silesia into the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), but was unsuccessful. With the exception of these brief political land skirmishes, Austria-Hungary was not awfully significant in the building of the Atlantic Economy.

New Nutrition and Dietary Practices

In this era, new dietary and nutrition practices were formed throughout Europe and Asia. These new ideas had important effects on society. Two of these was that once people began to eat their fill, they average life expectany of people increased and food/hunger riots died down. Along with "just prices" came food at cheaper prices which let the poorer folk the ability to buy more. This helped end riots and mobs that attacked farmers and landowners throughout the lands in the search for food at an affordable rate.
Although people began to eat more food, the types of foods they ate were not varied. The wealthy did not eat enough vegetable, the poor did not eat enough meat, and either group got enough calcium and vitamins. Although there weren't enough vitamins in peoples bodies, the food shortages were dealt with by planting potatoes and other crops. Through these plants, people were not starving to death and could survive the famines.