Austria-Hungary, also called the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the Dual Monarchy, was a country in central Europe from 1867 until 1918. It was formed from the Austrian Empire, which included the Kingdom of Hungary. Austria had gained control of Hungary in the late 1600’s. But in the mid-1800’s, several military defeats weakened Austria’s power. Hungary’s demand for equal status with Austria led to the formation of Austria-Hungary. The Habsburg (also spelled Hapsburg) family, an influential line of rulers who held thrones in Europe as early as 1273, governed the country. Austria-Hungary gained control of the neighboring province of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1878 and annexed it in 1908.
The monarchy covered about 260,000 square miles (673,000 square kilometers). About 51 million people lived in Austria-Hungary, including 24 million Slavs, 12 million Germans, 10 million Magyars, and many smaller groups. Each group kept its own customs and language.
The cultural life of Austria-Hungary was outstanding. Influential thinkers, such as the physician Sigmund Freud, lived and worked in the capital city of Vienna. Composers Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg also contributed to the country’s artistic achievements.
The people of Austria-Hungary lived mostly in peace and prosperity. Its two governments—one in Vienna for Austria and the other in Budapest for Hungary—provided efficient public services and improved the welfare of the people. But neither government was able to control the growing desire for self-determination among many of Austria-Hungary’s ethnic groups.
In 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian from Bosnia-Herzegovina, killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. Franz Ferdinand was seen as a threat to the union of South Slavic people. In addition, the act was a protest of Austria-Hungary’s control of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Most Serbs believed that Serbia, which lay south of Austria-Hungary, had a right to the province.
The assassination caused Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia. Russia promised to support Serbia. Then Germany, Austria-Hungary’s ally, declared war against Russia and Russia’s ally, France. Germany invaded Belgium to attack France, and Britain joined the fight in support of Belgium. World War I had begun.
During the war, Austria-Hungary sent troops to Italy and many other locations on the Eastern Front. The army performed well under difficult conditions, but morale became low as the war dragged on. By late 1917, thousands of soldiers had deserted. Some Czech troops joined the Allied forces.
After the war ended in 1918, the new states of Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia were formed entirely from Austria-Hungary’s territory. Other land went to Italy, Poland, Romania, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later called Yugoslavia). The breakup of Austria-Hungary marked the end of the empire of the Habsburg family.
