Austria year 1867-1874 stamps Emperor Franz Josef / Used

Austria year 1867-1874 stamps Emperor Franz Josef / Used

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as the Dual Monarchy, was a major European power from 1867 to 1918. It was formed through the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which established a dual monarchy with the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary sharing power under the rule of Emperor Franz Joseph I.

The empire was composed of various ethnic groups and territories, including Austrians, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Croats, Slovenes, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, Serbs, Italians, and others. It was a multinational and multiethnic state, which faced challenges in maintaining cohesion due to the diverse interests and aspirations of its constituent peoples.

Throughout its existence, the Austro-Hungarian Empire faced internal tensions, nationalist movements, and external pressures from other European powers. Its collapse came in the aftermath of World War I, during which it suffered significant military defeats and internal strife. The empire disintegrated in 1918, leading to the emergence of several independent nations from its former territories, including Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and parts of Romania, Ukraine, Poland, and Italy.