AUSTRIA 498 



A republic was proclaimed soon after the ab- 

 dication of the emperor, but its existence was 

 threatened almost daily. Bela Kun, a Hun- 

 garian and a follower of the Trotzky-Lenine 

 regime in Russia, had wrested the power of the 

 rtate in the new Hungary, and from Budapest 

 threatened to extend bolshevik rule to Austria 

 by means of insidious propaganda and red ter- 

 ror so effective in Russia, but the Austrians 

 appeared to withstand successfully the "red" 

 pressure. In June, 1919, the Austrian peace 

 delegation, headed by the Chancellor of the 

 new government, Karl Renner, was called to 

 Paris to sign the treaty, which would close the 

 war. There were practically no surprises in 

 store for the members, for they already knew 

 from the trend of events the fate that awaited 

 them. 



History. The history of Austria was 

 throughout the Middle Ages and early modern 

 period confused with that of Germany, and 

 for a large part of that time was identical 

 with that of the Holy Roman Empire (which 

 see). 



In 796 Charlemagne drove the Avars from 

 the territory between the Enns and the Raab, 



m 



rian Empire 

 Confederation of the Rhine 

 Prussia 



Warsaw 



FROM 1810 TO 1814 



two tributaries of the Danube, and united it 

 to his empire as a margravate, or border prov- 

 ince; and it was this little province which was 

 the nucleus of the present Austrian Empire. 

 After the invading Hungarians had been driven 

 out (see HUNGARY, subhead History) it was 

 more firmly established as a part of the old 

 German empire, and acquired the name of 

 Oesterreich, or Eastern Realm. In 1156 the 



AUSTRIA 



margravate was enlarged and created a duchv. 

 and from that time on there were frequent 

 accessions of territory, with corresponding in- 

 -e in the power of the dukes. In 1284 

 Ottokar, one of the strongest in the line of 

 dukes, ventured to resist the authority of the 

 emperor, Rudolph of Hapsburg. Ottokar was 

 killed during the struggle, and in 1282 Rudolph 

 assigned the territory to his own sons, Albert 

 receiving Austria and Rudolph Styria. From 

 that time until the present the Hapsburgs have 

 ruled Austria. 



During the two centuries that followed, the 

 duchy was constantly disturbed by wars, either 

 with rebellious subjects or with neighboring 

 provinces, but it grew steadily and increased 

 its influence. Albert V, son-in-law of Emperor 

 Sigismund, became king of Bohemia and Hun- 

 gary, and in 1438 was chosen emperor as 

 Albert II. But Hungary became independent 

 in the next generation, and under its patriot 

 king, Matthias Corvinus, took Vienna in 1485, 

 and temporarily drove the Hapsburgs from 

 Styria and Carinthia. So great, however, had 

 become the power of the Austrian house in 

 Germany that from this time on the Haps- 

 burgs were almost always able to have them- 

 selves chosen Holy Roman Emperors. 



In 1453 Austria was made an archduchy, and 

 gradually, by marriage or inheritance, Spain 

 and the Netherlands came for a time under 

 the same rule, so that Charles V (which see) 

 wits ruler of the greatest domain in Europe. 

 His brother Ferdinand, who inherited Austria, 

 spent most of his life fighting the Turks, who 

 in 1530 penetrated as far as Vienna, and ex- 

 acted an annual tribute for Austrian rule over 

 Hungary. The late sixteenth and early sev- 

 enteenth centuries were much disturbed by 

 struggles for liberty, religious and political, on 

 the part of Hungary and Bohemia, and the 

 resentment of the latter country at having to 

 accept as king the Catholic Ferdinand brought 

 on the Thirty Years' War (which see). Dur- 

 ing the reign of Leopold I, grandson of Fer- 

 dinand, there was war with Sweden. Later 

 the Turks, invited by Hungarians, again 

 reached Vienna, but were driven baqk by 

 King John Sobieski of Poland, and perma- 

 nently forced beyond the Danube by other 

 allies of Austria. It was during this king's 

 time, too, that the question of the succession 

 to the Spanish throne culminated in the great 

 War of the Spanish Succession. (See SUCCES- 

 SION WARS, subhead War of the Spanish Suc- 

 cession.') Joseph I succeeded to the imperial 



