Page:The History of The Great European War Vol 1.pdf/41

 Great Britain and her Allies, as representing the free peoples of the earth, may contemplate with every satisfaction this initial defeat of Austria. There is every justification from their point of view for wiping this Power, as a Power, off the map of Europe. There are no Austrian, Hungarian, or Austro-Hungarian people, politically speaking. There are peoples who inhabit the monarchy, Hapsburg peoples—that is all. They are mere lifeless "things" politically regarded. "Prussia has not enough body for her soul; Austria no soul for her very humble body." This has been well said. If there should be any soul at all in the possession of Austria, then it must be one which is mainly dynastic. Whatever political devotion there is in the State, it is to the person of the monarch, who, ruling by divine right in various constitutional guises, is the chief factor in each State separately and in both States jointly. So much for the title of the largest country in Europe after Russia, which is, officially, the "Austro-Hungarian Monarchy," or more generally the "Dual Monarchy."

The territories of the monarchy lie in the south-east centre of Europe, surrounded by Germany, the Balkan States, the Adriatic Sea, Italy, and Switzerland. The monarchy is composed of the Empire of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary in the form of a loose union of two independent States. The common bond is found in their possession of a common ruler, the hereditary Emperor of Austria, who represents the House of Hapsburg, being at the same time apostolic King of Hungary. The population of the monarchy embraces a greater number of races, distinct in origin and language, than that of any European country except Russia. The Slavs are the most numerous race, amounting to over 46 per cent, of the whole population. They, in their turn, are split up into a number of nationalities, differing in language, religion, culture, and manners. So the Slavs comprise the Czechs (the most numerous of all in Austria-Hungary) in Bohemia and Moravia, the Poles in Galicia, the Ruthenians in Galicia and Northern Hungary, the Croats and Serbs in Croatia and Slavonia, the Slovaks mainly in north-western Hungary, the Slovenes in Carniola and Styria, the Morlaks in Dalmatia, and some Bulgarians. The Germans, the dominating race, number only about 25 per cent, of the whole population. The Magyars, constituting only one-sixth of the population of the monarchy, and even only about 43 per cent, of Hungary itself, are the only other race having any political position. The other races are the Rumans, Italians, Latins, Friauls Tews Gypsies, Armenians and others.

Now these people, in all their varied races, exist merely for