Historical Facts: The 1867 Compromise and the Austro-Hungarian Empire

     Okay. I think I gave you the end before the beginning, because this is about the rise of Austria-Hungary. If you didn't read the last article, that's on the fall of Austria-Hungary. But, I didn't know I would post on this. So, let's go!

    Let's look at Austria in 1867. The previous year, they lost a war to Prussia and Italy. After Prussia defeated Austria, the other German states dependent on Austria had an uncertain future. (This would be resolved after the Franco-Prussian War.) But Austria also had an uncertain future. After losing wars, you would generally have a bad economy. Austria was no exception. And Austria already had many ethnicities in their empire. As I said in the last article, Austria had many minorities. In fact, I'll list just some of the most significant minorities in the Austrian Empire:

  • Czechs
  • Slovaks
  • Poles
  • Ukrainians
  • Romanians
  • Hungarians
  • Serbs
  • Croats
  • Slovenes
  • Italians
    If this doesn't sound too complicated to you, think about what you would do if you were Austria in 1867. Many outsiders probably thought, "Is this the end of the Austrian Empire?" If Austria didn't do anything, their empire might just have collapsed, and all of these minorities might have been liberated. They had two options - liberate their minorities, or face revolution. 

    Austria chose to liberate some of their minorities. The 1867 Compromise was signed. It gave significant autonomy to Hungary. It also gave some autonomy to Croatia, since they had been in some sort of historical union. 

    Now, here's a big misconception about the 1867 Compromise. Many believe that since the 1867 Compromise gave Austria and Hungary equal status, it made them one country, known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, this is not the case. The compromise stated that Austria and Hungary were two states, united under the same monarch. Additionally, many show Austria and Hungary as having one flag and anthem. In fact, they had two flags and two anthems. I'll display some flags:

(source) This was the civil ensign of Austria-Hungary, ONLY used by civilians and commercial ships. However, many call it the "national flag of Austria-Hungary."

(source) This was the flag of the Habsburg monarchy. Since that monarchy ruled the Austrian Empire (1804-1867), it was also their national flag. It was still used by the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary after the compromise.

(source) Flag of the Hungarian part, officially known as the Kingdom of Hungary.

    So, I hope I gave you a clear overview of what the 1867 Compromise actually was. Thanks for reading! Bye!

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The Ager Centralis Enotitae and Pecunia - Enotitan Finance Guide

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The first ever bill issued by the Ager Centralis. This bill is for one Pecunia.      Almost every country has a currency. You have the dollar, peso, euro, pound, and much more. However, we did not have a currency. This is bad, because the economy is very vital to every country. That's why we established the Ager Centralis Enotitae (Latin for Enotitan Central Bank). From now on, Enotitans can use the Pecunia, our new currency.      To start, open an account at any branch of the Ager Centralis. (Currently, there are only branches in Olsen, the main state.) Present the teller any valid Enotitan government ID. Following that, give the teller any bill from any currency. After around 10 minutes, it will be converted and transformed into a Pecunia for the initial deposit.      You can use the card in Enotitan shops. You can buy souvenirs, food, or even use it to receive salary. (Enotitan companies besides government agencies do not exist at the mome...
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Historical Facts: American and Japanese Rule in the Philippines

     This was based on Reader's Digest: The Story of the Filipino People - Parts 6 and 7 ( Under the Stars and Stripes  and The Japanese Occupation ) by Milagros C. Guerrero and Ricardo T. Jose.      Now that I think about it, I would call the Spanish occupation "the first storm," the American occupation "the second storm," and the Japanese occupation "the third storm." The "between the storm" parts would be 1898 - 1901 and 1935 - 1941.  Part 1 - The Second Storm (1901 - 1935)     After the Philippine-American War, the United States turned the Philippines into a colony. They gained it in the Treaty of Paris along with Puerto Rico, Cuba, and some other islands. The Americans needed to keep it away from Spain, France, and Germany.      Under Spanish rule, the Filipinos were taught Catholicism. But the Americans were mainly Methodist (a sect of Protestantism). American missionaries were sent to the Philippines, although most ...
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