A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of Habsburg Empire

Wawro (The Austro-Prussian War) aims to clarify the confusing nature of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s military collapse early in WWI. Describing the trauma of the Austrian defeat in the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, he claims it eroded “the Austrian idea,” the belief that everyone in the Empire was satisfied and unified under Austrian rule. To stem the tide of protests, the reactionary Franz Josef became both the emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, thereby establishing the joint kingdom of Austria-Hungary. Intended as a solution, his reign only served to complicate the problem and let it sit and simmer ominously until 1914. As Wawro grimly notes, “Hungary... was dragging the Hapsburg Empire over a cliff.” Hungarian attempts to undermine the Austrian monarchy, limit the size of the military, and stymie any major decision-making were largely successful. Other betrayals crippled the state further, including when high-ranking Colonel Alfred Redl was discovered to be selling crucial military secrets to Russia. With the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the outbreak of WWI, the inexperience of Austro-Hungarian troops and the incompetence of its military leadership were thrown into sharp relief. Wawro’s authoritative account is a damning analysis of an empire and a people unready for war. Maps and illus. (May)