The End of Austria-Hungary: Treaty of Saint-Germain 1919

The Treaty of Versailles between the Allies and Germany was only one of the peace treaties that followed the defeat of the Central Powers. The new Austrian republic, one of the countries that emerged from the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, also tried to get a favorable deal with the Allies in Paris in 1919. Like Versailles, the Treaty of Saint-Germain caused an outcry across the country.

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» SOURCES
 De Martonne, Emmanuel. Le traité de Saint-Germain et le démembrement de l'Autriche (1920)
Haslinger, Peter: Saint-Germain, Treaty of , in: 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel, Peter Gatrell, Oliver Janz, Heather Jones, Jennifer Keene, Alan Kramer, and Bill Nasson, issued by Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 2016-12-06.
Gerwarth, Robert. The Vanquished. Why the First World War Failed to End, 1917-1923 (Penguin, 2017).

Macmillan, Margaret. The Peacemakers: Six Months that Changed the World (London: John Murray, 2001).

Canis, Konrad: „Die bedrängte Großmacht. Österreich-Ungarn und das europäische Mächtesystem 1866/67–1914“ Paderborn 2016.
Ermacora, Felix: „Der unbewältigte Frieden St. Germain und die Folgen - 1919 – 1989“, Wien 1989.
Hobek, Martin: „Der Rest ist Österreich! zum Vertrag von Saint-Germain-en-Laye 1919“, Wien 1999.
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»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: Jesse Alexander
Director: Toni Steller & Florian Wittig
Director of Photography: Toni Steller
Sound: Toni Steller
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Philipp Appelt
Research by: Jesse Alexander
Fact checking: Florian Wittig
 
Channel Design: Alexander Clark
Original Logo: David van Stephold
 
Contains licensed material by getty images
All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2020

[jmaitland]

Allies: "Alright Austria you can have your independence, but no submarines!"
Austria, the landlocked mountain nation: "wat"

[timothyheimbach]

This gives the German annexation of Austria in the 30s a new perspective.

[TheHubiPL]

What I think deserves notice and wasn't mentioned in the video is an absolute mess that this treaty has made when dealing with citizenships after breaking up this multi-national state.
Basically, a person got assigned a citizenship according to his place of residence (regardless if it was long-term or temporary) on 1st January 1911. Bear in mind that this also applied to entire families if its head happened to be the only male of full age.
As an example: remember how Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1908? Well, the place happened to be full with Austro-Hungarian military police in 1911 and as a result, thousands of people who served as an occupying force there became Yugoslav citizens after Saint-Germain.

[Loose]

The British and French reeeeaaalllly know how to re-draw borders in a way which will cause resentment and conflict.

[yourethatmantis]

Allies: "Ok Austria you're landlocked now and also you can't have submarines."
One weirdo who was going to put a submarine in the Danube River: "bruh..."

[JenniferinIllinois]

Phew! Austria is forbidden to have submarines. I was worried about a large Austrian U-boat fleet roaming the Mediterranean.

[mennoltvanalten]

'There was noone with really sound knowledge and experience, and the Italians were very difficult'

sounds like the entire war...

[trashvideoboi]

Austrian empire: *gets dismantled and has limits making it so it can’t reunite*
Hoi4 players: YOUR OPINION IS TRASH

[amerigo]

So the Balkans pre-WWI were a powder keg under the dominance of the Austria-Hungarian Empire, but breaking it into a dozen opposing nations should lead to permanent peace. Sounds legit.

[HS-sucf]

Ironic that a guy named Bauer, was against Austria becoming a peasant country.

[DoraFauszt]

Now this is an interesting episode for me!
Being ethnic German in Hungary I visited a German school and when we learned basic geography, I never understood: If Germany and Austria both speak German, why are they not one country? Boy, did I know little of history back then!
Here in Hungary we never really learn about the Saint-Germain treaty (Trianon ofc is the major topic), so a lot of questions actually rose up in my mind (and generally in the people's heads). We always tought (and think - a popular thing to rant), that Austria received mild punishment, compared to Hungary, altough it was the Austrian part, which wanted the war.
This episode actually cleared up a lot of fog im my head personally. I didn't even know the Anschluss theory was so old and seeing now what Austria "gained", I understand the situation much better and don't consider it to be less harsh then Trianon. Really great episode!
I guess we can count on an episode about Trianon next year?

[timothyrday]

It'd be great to see an episode about Japan's role in the Treaty of Versailles and the aftermath.

[amerigo]

How does Jessie Alexander have a fine NORTH American accent, yet excellent pronunciation of the French and German phrases? I AM JEALOUS!!!

[gardreropa]

Also, the reply of the head of the Slovene delegation (A.Korošec) to the Kaiser Karl's offer for greater autonomy for the Slavs within the empire: "MAJESTÄT, ES IST ZU SPÄT!" ("Your Majesty, it is too late!") tells it all. So much for the restoration of the Habsburg Empire...

[BubiPL]

My great granfather was turbo Polish nationalist and follower of Józef Piłsudski :d He fought and was wounded in battle of Limanowa on 1914. He was an calvalry man who had been hit by sabre in the back on charge for hill Jabłonówka. He was really determined, because my and his family hometown (Przyszowa) was 10km near the battle.
That treaty was received really well by him - it freed our towns to Poland.
To be honest Austrian people weren't much opressive and bad overlords, because they were working on developement od the region instead of changing identity and ideology of the people. We had the most autonomy on day to day life compared to Russian and German empires. Even in our times I've came to contact with people that parents were praising "Franz Josif times were the best" in opposition of Soviet and People Poland Republic rule "Even the wind is evil from the east" :D.
Maybe you can do documentary of treating minorities in Austria-Hungary, before the war?
I'm watching that channel from 2014 and I wanted to say THANK YOU for great work!

[umjackd]

I started reading Margaret McMillan's "Paris 1919" book based on your recommendations from the podcast. Fascinating reading for anyone else also interested in the various peace treaties. In terms of the various effects on the Europe and world at large we know today, this is history-making at its most grand and simultaneously audacious.

[jjeherrera]

Back in the 1970s I spent some time in Trieste, where I met an old lady who claimed she was Austrian, because she was born when it was part of Austria. Even after so many years, she couldn't accept she had now become Italian.

[HGRvSBG]

And then one day, for no reason at all, an Austrian painter came to power.

[nathanbrown]

Wilson allied with the British and French Empires and failed to get his demand for national self determination after the war.


*Surprised Pikachu Face*

[nobbbggg]

I know there is a lot of ground to cover but I think it would have been worth a side note that the Italian annexation of South Tyrol is even today a polticial issue and was up to the 80s an actual conflict. Also it was probably one of the worst violations of the concept of self-determination. In South Tyrol there was no sizeable minority of Italians living there and South Tyrol had been part of Tyrol and Austira for centuries at this point.