Political History. 143 



guage (Magyar), while all other parts have in their 

 composition preponderatingly Slavish population, 

 although German elements have the ascendency more or 

 less everywhere. 



Not less than 10 different languages are spoken among 

 the forty odd million people of which the Germans com- 

 prise about one-quarter, the Hungarians one-third, the 

 balance being Slavs. 



Originally this section of the country was occupied 

 by Germans with the German institution of the Mark, 

 but when the Slavish and Magyar tribes pressed in from 

 the East it became the meeting ground of the three 

 races, and during the first 1,000 years after Christ the 

 "East MarF' formed the bulwark of the (Jennan empire 

 against the eastern invaders who were in succession, the 

 Slave, the Huns, the Turks. 



With the unexpected election of Rudolph of Haps- 

 burg, a little known prince of small possessions, to 

 the dignity of German Emperor in 1272, the 

 foundation of the Austrian Empire was laid. The 

 Archduchy of Austria he secured by conquest in 1283, 

 and around this nucleus all the other territories were 

 aggregated by the Hapsburgs from time to time, through 

 marriage, conquest or treaty. At one time their rule 

 extended over Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, 

 Naples, Sicily and Sardinia. 



The abdication of Francis II, in the year 1806, pre- 

 pared the separation from Germany, although Austrian 

 influence persisted in Germany until 1866 when by the 

 crushing defeat suffered at the hands of Prussia, its 

 place and voice was permanently excluded, and by ar- 

 rangement with Hungary the new dual empire of Aus- 



