20 CultureShock! Austria
office in July. By 31 October, after 2,000 people had died,
the rebels were finally subdued.
The regions of Hungary and Bohemia were anxious to
secure their independence and saw their opportunity in this
unrest. The Bohemians were brought under control first,
but the Hungarians proved a formidable enemy. Only with
the help of Russian troops was the Hungarian revolt finally
suppressed. On 2 December 1848, Emperor Ferdinand,
who was epileptic and not in full command of his faculties,
abdicated in favour of his nephew, Franz Josef.Franz Josef (1848–1916)
Only 18 years of age when he became emperor, Franz
Josef was a popular monarch, closely associated with the
memories of imperial Austria. Under his rule, the second half
of the 19th century came to be known as the Gründerzeit,
or Founder era, and Vienna shone as one of the jewels of
Europe. Yet Franz Josef also ruled during a time when the
Austrian Empire began to break apart. Austria lost Lombardy
in 1859. Following the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Austria
lost dominance among the German states and ceded Venice
to Italy.
Meanwhile, the Hungarians were still demanding
independence. Given their military losses, Austria agreed to
negotiate. In 1867, the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy was
created. Each state would be autonomous, and a separate
parliament was established in Budapest. In return, the
Emperor of Austria would also be crowned King of Hungary
and the two states would share the same defense, foreign
and economic policies.Civilian Government
By the end of the 19th century, three main political parties
had been formed in the Austrian part of the empire: the
Austrian Social Democratic Party, the Christian Social Party
and the German National Party. Austria enjoyed a relatively
free press. Universal male suffrage was granted in 1907,
and the first general elections were held for the imperial
parliament, although Franz Josef remained in firm control.