r/austriahungary

This is the easiest way to build an Ukrainian national identity that is NOT Russian and also European.

In the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ukrainian identity flourished. The Ukrainians were "Tyrolians of the East" - a population extremely loyal to the Kaiser and Vienna. And the Kaiser rewarded them for this loyalty. While, in the neighboring Russian Empire, the Ukrainian identity was suppressed and you could get hanged for speaking Ukrainian, in Galicia and, especially after the Polonzation of Galicia, in Bukovina, the Ukrainian identity flourished. There were Ukrainian schools, Ukrainian chairs at the Czernowitz and Lemberg Universities, Ukrainian cultural associations, Ukrainian press, Ukrainian nobility and Ukrainian politicians in the Reichsrat.

Ukrainian nationalism was born in Austria-Hungary. And the Habsburg state supported Ukrainian nationalism, to keep in check the Romanian and Polish aristocracy.

But the most pro-Ukrainian moment of the Habsburg monarchy was after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, when Emperor Charles I agreed to create a Habsburg Ukrainian Kingdom out of the territories of Eastern Galicia and Bukovina until 20 July 1918. This failed, because of the turnout of the war, but the Ukrainian politicians were ready - when the Habsburg Empire fell, the Ukrainian People's Republic was proclaimed - but the foundation was led by Charles I. I think that, for this, Emperor Charles I deserves statues in Lviv, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil. Because he, as the legitimate ruler of these territories, acknowledged them as part of Ukraine. This, and not Stalin's invasions of 1939-1940, is the reason why these territories are rightfully part of Ukraine.

In the image: the monument of the Black Eagle, destroyed by the Soviets in 1949. Written in German, Ukrainian and Romanian, there were discussions in 2020 to rebuild it, but the war delayed it. I hope that, when the war is over, that the monument will be reinstalled.

After the loss at Battle of Mojkovac 1916, Montenegrin king Nikola wisely surrendered and signed capitulation. This illustration shows his soldiers surrendering their weapons to the victorious army.

After long and hard clashes in the region of Mojkovac, Austro-Hungarian troops prevailed and were proclaimed as victorious. The Kingdom of Montenegro stopped existing after this crushing defeat.

saw this on another sub and thought you guys might find this interesting

Elez Dervišević (1901–1988) was an Austrian-Hungarian soldier and one of the youngest soldiers in the First World War, although he is beaten for the honour of the youngest soldier in the Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces by Ivica Dragićević (most likely born 1908)

He was born in 1901 to a prominent Bosniak merchant family in Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. His parents were Sulejman and Munevera. He had two brothers, Osman and Mehmedalija and one sister, Safija.

Beginnings edit At the beginning of the First World War, during the mobilisation of the Austro-Hungarian Army, Ademaga Mešić with his own funds, mobilised 450 volunteer troops and stationed them on the Austria-Hungary border on the river Drina. Dervišević's brother, Mehmed, joined the group and was later promoted to captain. At age eleven, Elez left school to defend Austria-Hungary with Mehmed."[3]

Battles of the Isonzo edit When Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, the 91st Czech Infantry Battalion was ordered to Soča. The teenaged Dervišević volunteered to help the Czech infantry at Soča supplying food for the battalion. The Czech officer stationed there, Alois Martinek, asked the local Protection Corps commander to help guide him via the river Sava and the region of Slavonia, to which he agreed. However, Dervišević abandoned his task to jump on the train with the army to become a soldier. He was discovered only after he got to Soča. After hearing of this, Martinek ordered him off the front line. At first, Dervišević was a courier. Then a commander brought him to see the Bosniak forces in action. From a safe distance he watched as the Third Regiment of the Bosniak attacked and overran the Italian positions. Dervišević and an officer captured three Italian soldiers, and because of this the boy was promoted to corporal. At fourteen he was the youngest soldier in the Austro-Hungarian Army. After nineteen months of service Dervišević was hit by shrapnel in the lower jaw and Martinek sent him to a hospital in Vienna. When he recovered he was stationed in Wielburg castle. He took care of the Ernsthaler family, who enrolled him in cadet school in Bratislava.

At the end of the First World War, Dervišević returned to Bijeljina. The new Kingdom of Yugoslavia wanted to promote peace and unity, thus any demobilised Bosniak soldier of the Austro-Hungarian army, which had attacked the Kingdom of Serbia without a probable cause, was given clemency, meaning that they were allowed to return to their homes without any hindrance, and would be treated as Yugoslav subjects. Upon arriving he was greeted by the mother and the brother of Osman Munevera. In 1925 he visited the Ernsthaler family and the Archduchess Isabella who lived in Hungary. As a gift from her, he received 5,000 florins. He used the money to start an agricultural export company. He became a successful entrepreneur in Kingdom of Yugoslavia and his business flourished until the Second World War. After the end of war, he went to Syria, where he took the rank of major in the reserves of the Syrian Army. He died in Syria in 1988. He was buried in Damascus. He was survived by two daughters and two sons.

For his service in the First World War, Elez Dervišević received the silver medal for Bravery 2nd class, the bronze medal for Bravery and the Medal of Military Merit, all from countries that were defeated in the war.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elez_Dervi%C5%A1evi%C4%87

https://9gag.com/gag/aMEvby1

https://bosna.hr/elez-dervisevic-djecak-iz-bijeljine-koji-je-postao-najmladji-austrougarski-oficir/

https://nagyhaboru.blog.hu/2020/04/02/elez_dervi_evi_a_monarchia_legifjabb_katonaja

I am continuing my series of posts in which I explain why Emperor Charles I deserves more recognition in Ukraine.

Many fringe ultranationalist and irredentist groups in Romania and Poland claim that Western Ukraine is Romanian and Polish territory annexed by force by Stalin. While I agree that the Soviet Union committed atrocities and genocide against the Poles and Romanians in these territories, the question of who should own these territories - they will not like the answer.

In 1916, Charles I become the Emperor of Austria, the King of Galicia and Lodomeria and the Duke of Bukovina - recognized by Ukrainians, Poles and Romanians alike. Charles I had a different mindset than Franz Joseph and wanted the empire to reform based on self-determination. After the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Charles I promised to create a Habsburg Ukrainian Kingdom from the territories of Eastern Galicia and Northern Bukovina no later than 20 July 1918. This was a recognition that the Ukrainians deserved from Vienna - their absolute loyalty to the Empire and courage of the front lines deserved a reward. The Polish and Romanian aristocracy was angered by this, and Entente used this to accelerate the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so the plan was abandoned. But not completely.

Between the treaty of Brest-Litovsk (3 March 1918) and 20 July 1918, the Ukrainian soldiers from the Austro-Hungarian Army (some of the most courageous and loyal) were being moved to Eastern Galicia and Bukovina, becoming the de facto army of the Ukrainian National Committees.

In October-November 1918, the Austro-Hungarian governors of Galicia and Bukovina - Count Karl Georg von Huyn and Count Jozef von Etzdorf - handled over the power to the Ukrainian National Committees of Lemberg and Czernowitz. After the Empire collapsed, these committees proclaimed the West Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR). Thus, the ZUNR was the legitimate sovereign state.

However, the ZUNR was weak and disorganized and, with the Entente support, Poland and Romania invaded ZUNR and annexed, by force, Eastern Galicia and Bukovina - territories where Poles and Romanians were minorities, and the Ukrainians were the majority.

Yes, I repeat - there is no justification for the genocide, massacres and deportations that Stalin organized in Eastern Galicia and Northern Bukovina. Nobody should deny this tragedy. But nobody should also deny that 1918-1919 were some tragic years for the Ukrainians, and Romania and Poland are to blame.

Charles I, the legitimate sovereign of these territories, recognized as such by Poles, Romanians and Ukrainians alike, stated explicitly that these territories are rightfully Ukrainian.

Bonus: videos of Charles I in Czernowitz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHXFYbCXWWs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja6UCpAaQlg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTQWH3bsU64&list=RDMTQWH3bsU64&start_radio=1

I can only tell 1,2

And why 4~9 had the same?