Why didn't Germany and Austria -hungary merge since they were German speaking back in WW1?

Answer 1

Bismarck's Greater Germany

Bismarck, first Prime Minister of Prussia and then Chancellor of the German Empire (once he had assembled it), set about the construction of Germany through high politics judiciously assisted by war against Austria and France.

Appointed Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Prussia by Kaiser Wilhelm I in 1862, Bismarck was consumed with a desire to achieve the creation of a German Empire out of the collection of smaller German states largely led by Austria's influence (another German-speaking nation).

His first step was to oust Austria as the prime influence among these German states. He achieved this by engineering war with Austria in 1866 over disputed territory in the duchy of Holstein (much against the wishes of his own Kaiser).

The resulting war lasted just seven weeks - hence its common title 'The Seven Weeks War' - and ended with the complete dominance of the supremely efficient Prussian military.

In a peace mediated by the French Emperor, Napoleon III, Bismarck extracted from Austria not only Schleswig and Holstein, but also Hanover, Hesse, Nassau and Frankfurt, creating the North German Federation. As importantly, Bismarck had successfully displaced Austria in the spheres of influence over the many small German states.

Having assembled a united assembly in the north Bismarck determined to achieve the same in the south - and so unite all of the German states under the Prussian banner.

How to achieve this? Bismarck resolved that war with the French, a common enemy, would attain his aims.

First, he needed to engineer a credible reason for war. Thus, in 1870, Bismarck attempted to place a Hohenzollern prince on the throne in Spain. Napoleon III, fearful of the prospect of theoretical war on two fronts - for the Hohenzollern prince was a relative of Kaiser Wilhelm I - objected.

Bismarck turned up the diplomatic heat by releasing, on 14 July 1870, a doctored version of a telegram ostensibly from the Kaiser to Bismarck himself, called the Ems Telegram. The effect of the telegram was to simultaneously insult both France and Prussia over their inability to resolve the dispute over the Spanish throne.

Napoleon III, facing civil revolt at home over quite unrelated matters, and receiving encouraging noises from his military commanders, responded by declaring war against Prussia five days later, on 19 July 1870.

Once again, as was the case against Austria, the Prussian military machine demolished the French forces. Napoleon III, who personally led his forces at the lost Battle of Sedan, surrendered and was deposed in the civil war that boiled over in France, resulting in the Third French Republic.

Meantime the Prussian forces laid siege to Paris between September 1870 and January 1871, starving the city into surrender.

The consequences of the war were numerous. Aside from the usual territorial gains - France ceded both Alsace and Lorraine to Prussia and was forced to pay swingeing reparations (equivalent to around $1 billion today) - the southern German states agreed to an alliance with their northern counterparts, resulting in the creation of Bismarck's cherished German Empire.

Bismarck's Need for Alliances

Bismarck's creation of a unified Germany was of direct relevance to the outbreak of war some 43 years later, since it resulted in the assembly of the key alliances that later came into play.

For, having achieved his life's aim, Bismarck's expansionary plans were at an end. He had secured what he wanted, and his chief desire now was to maintain its stability. He therefore set about building European alliances aimed at protecting Germany from potentially threatening quarters.

He was acutely aware that the French were itching to revenge their defeat at the earliest opportunity - and the loss of Alsace and Lorraine to Prussia would prove to be a lasting sore. Indeed, the French plan for war in 1914, Plan XVII, was largely based around the recapture of Alsace and Lorraine in the shortest possible time - with disastrous consequences.

German wanted to expand their terriorty is was additional motivation to enter WWI however, with the Central powers losing the war in1919, the year after the war ended and the Paris Peace Conference, of the signing of the peace at Versailles. The terms of the peace treaty imposed upon Germany by the victorious Allies led, many historians argue, to the rise of Hitler and the advent of war in 1939, such was Germany's sense of injustice.
Peace conference disposes of German colonies.

Answer 2

Hungarians do not speak German? I think there were a lot more Hungarian Austro-Hungarians then German speaking austro-hungarians. I know Hungary lost almost 1/2 of it's Hungarian Speakers after the war. In fact even today there are something like 5 million displaced Hungarians in bordering countries. In the second WWII Hungary really didn't want to join with the axis but knew it was the only way for them to get some of their land back. Either way they were screwed. The last thing on earth the Hungarians would want would be to merge with the Germans. Even though the Germans killed millions and it took a Hungarian to actually stop the war with help from Fermi the Hungarians got the biggest shaft in the war. Even when the communist overtook the city and the Hungarians where pleading for help, the Americans just stood there, pretty much what they did with Cuba.

Answer 3

At the time of their alliance in WWI, the Austrian -Hungarian empire weak though it was was still in the Hapsburgs family which had ruled there for a few centuries and FranzJoseph still had the backing of the people and could yield a large army and Germany needed them to guard their southern flank against Italy which in the first world war unlike the second sided with the Allies.

Answer 4

The idea of a Grossdeutchland had been bandied about, but the Prussians, especially under Bismark, had other ideas. You may want to research what was going on over there while we in the US were fighting our civil war, and a few years later when Germany was created.

Answer 5

Because they are separate countries. The language comes from way back when the Romans were in the region. Just like America and England are separate countries. But because most influencial pioneers were from England, we speak English here.

Answer 6

Perhaps you do not understand European History, Kingdoms do not just merge the way two modern businesses do today. Most Kings would not share their kingdom with another. Many of the people would have only accepted one king.

Answer 7

oh NO, Hungarians always had their OWN language, and this is the Hungarian - a very unique language, which does not resemble to any other languages.

it is another question, that at certain times of the history, they had to study other languages at school and had to use another language as an official language (German, or Russian for example), but people's mother language was always Hungarian.