. The earth and its inhabitants .. . ^ HE j^olitical situation of the twin empire of the Danube is altogether unstable. Vienna and Pest are geographical centres, no doubt, but the incompatibility of the races inhabiting the empire has caused its boundaries to fluctuate in accordance with the fortunes of war, and with the success of diplomatic intrigues or matrimonial alliances. There was a time when the house of Habsburg was the most powerful in the world. The boastful inscription of A E I 0 U {Austriœ est irnperare orbi tini- verso), still to be seen on some public buildings, recalls that tim
. The earth and its inhabitants .. . ^ HE j^olitical situation of the twin empire of the Danube is altogether unstable. Vienna and Pest are geographical centres, no doubt, but the incompatibility of the races inhabiting the empire has caused its boundaries to fluctuate in accordance with the fortunes of war, and with the success of diplomatic intrigues or matrimonial alliances. There was a time when the house of Habsburg was the most powerful in the world. The boastful inscription of A E I 0 U {Austriœ est irnperare orbi tini- verso), still to be seen on some public buildings, recalls that time. Then, again, the empire found itself at the mercy of a ruthless conqueror. For fifty years Austria swayed the decisions of the German Diet, and her orders were obeyed in Italy ; but the thunders of Sadowa for ever deprived her of the lead in Central Europe, and only the East appears able to give her compensation for the losses suffered in the "West. It might be supposed that Austria's exjDulsion from Germany consolidated her strength. Fur from it. German Austria aspires to union with the German fatherland. If the empire were to be broken up, the German Austrians would certainly not combine with the Austrians of other nationalities, but they would join their kinsmen in the west and north, for Vienna is German above all. The non-German nationalities, on the other hand, have taken advantage of the feebleness of the central Government to secure their political autonomy. Vienna has been compelled to make concessions. "Austrian patriotism " has given place to national aspirations tending to the formation of a group of inde- pendent states. If it were not for the esprit de corps which animates the army and the functionaries, and the power of habit, Austria would long ago have gone to pieces. Every great political event shakes the empire to its foundations. Austria has occupied Bosnia and the Herzegovina, but may not this annexation accelerate its final dismemberment
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade18, booksubjectgeography, bookyear1883
