Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary (also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Dual Monarchy) was a state in Central Europe ruled by the House of Hapsburg. The state was created in 1867 with the combination of the crowns of Austria and Hungary. Austria's Hapsburgs agreed to share power with a separate Hungarian government, dividing the territory of the former Austrian Empire between them. In OTL, the Dual Monarchy existed until 1918, when it dissolved following military defeat in World War I. As a consequence, Austria and Hungary became separate independent states, and the victorious Allies split up the Empire's territory into several countries, often combing territories and regions with little regard to the wishes of the people within the region.

Austria-Hungary in Southern Victory
Austria-Hungary was a founding member of the Central Powers along with the United States and Germany.

In 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist. Austria-Hungary issued a series of ultimata against Serbia relating to the incident, and Serbia, supported by Russia, refused some of these. Austria-Hungary invoked the Central Powers defensive alliance, Russia (also claiming this was a defensive war though it had not been directly threatened by Vienna) invoked the Entente, and the Great War began.

By 1916, the Central Powers had the strategic upper-hand. Emperor Franz Joseph I died, and his grand-nephew Charles I ascended the throne and saw Austria-Hungary on to victory.

In victory, however, Austria-Hungary found itself losing prestige and being eclipsed by Germany in influence. After the incorporation of Serbia into the Dual Monarchy, restive South Slavs and other minorities remained rebellious; only the Austrians and more lukewarm Hungarians supported the Hapsburgs.

When the Second Great War began in 1941, Austria-Hungary under Charles I once again allied itself with the Central Powers. However, it was a very multicultural empire, and many of its ethnic minorities, including the Bosnians, Serbs and Romanianns, rose up against the imperial authority, supported by Russia. Some of the violent minority nationalist groups made use of people bombs in an attempt to further their cause.

Austria-Hungary's physicists collaborated with Germany's in an effort to build a superbomb during the Second Great War, which bore fruit in 1944.

Being once again on the winning side in the war, Austria-Hungary remained in being, but far from robust - and with the threat of dissolution, possibly in a bloody civil war, adding to the problems of post-war Europe.

Austria-Hungary in Curious Notions
Austria-Hungary was a close ally of Imperial Germany, which ensured its survival throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries, and made it freer than other countries in the world. The Emperor of Austria-Hungary, like other allied monarchs, often seen in the company of the German Kaiser in TV broadcasts shown all over the world.

Austria-Hungary in The Disunited States of America
In one alternate visited by Crosstime Traffic, Austria-Hungary still held together into the late 21st century, although it had not been a great world power for some time.

For Austria-Hungary in all other works, see Austria and Hungary.