A Model of a Multinational Society as Developed in Austria-Hungary before 1918

Abstract

Austria-Hungary, though destroyed by the Peace Treaties of 1918/19, was at the beginning of our century one of the most important states in the world. It had nationality problems which it tried to overcome by a new means of internal political organisation. This leads me to believe that the experiences of the Habsburg Monarchy may have a contribution to make to the solution of ethnic problems with which we are confronted today. It is true there are great and decisive differences between the Austrian nationality problems and the ethnic problems of a multiracial society like South Africa, but there are also comparable and crucial items. These are worth scrutinising to see how they could be helpful in the situation which exists here and which is under pressure from communist-guided nationalism.