Postwar Era[]
Despite being one of the winners of the Great War, Austria-Hungary was in a very unstable condition. The other nationalities demanded more autonomy and self-administration. Directly after the Great War Kaiser Karl I. had promised reforms and more autonomy his "Völkermanifest", unfortunately it took another 3 years until the reforms were finally made. In 1922, Kaiser Karl came under huge pressure as Dual-Monarchy was seemingly collapsing. He then decided to risk an unexpected step: transforming Austria-Hungary into the United States of Greater Austria. The USGA were a proposal conceived by Aurel Popovici in 1906 and aimed to federalize the Habsburg Empire. As the plan was realized, Kaiser Karl came more and more under pressure by democratic forces. In June 1923, he finally decided to put down his crown and to move aside for a democratic Government.
The proposal of the "United States of Greater Austria" by Aurel Popovici
The United States of Greater Austria[]
- 17 states with more autonomy (Trento, German-Austria, Bohemia, German-Bohemia, German-Moravia, Slovakia, West Galicia, East Galicia, Hungary, Transilvania, Székely Land, Vojvodina, Croatia, Bosnia, Carniola, Trieste, Northern Serbia)''
- Kaiser Karl resigns shortly after the reformation
The United States of Greater Austria in 1936
Not only did the "great reformation" of 1923 stabilize the country, it also turned the century old Habsburg monarchy into a democratic federation.