The Cisleithania reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004
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Cisleithania

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Cisleithania (German Zisleithanien) was the name of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual monarchy which was created in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. The Cisleithanian lands remained part of the Empire of Austria. The capital was Vienna.

It had a population of 28,571,900 in 1910

Table of contents
1 Provinces
2 Politics
3 Ethnic composition of the population (1910)

Provinces

It consisted of 15 crownlands, which had representatives in the Reichsrat (Cisleithanian parliament):

Map of Austria-HungaryEnlarge

Map of Austria-Hungary

Crownlands of Cisleithania with capitals in alphetical order in German
State Capital
Böhmen Prag
Bukovina Czernowitz
Dalmatien Spalato (Split)
Galizien und Lodomerien Lemberg
Kärnten Klagenfurt
Krain Laibach (Ljubljana)
Kustenland Triest
Mähren Brünn (Brno)
Niederösterreich Wien
Salzburg Salzburg
Schlesien Troppau (Opava)
Steiermark Graz
Tirol Innsbruck
Überösterreich Linz
Vorarlberg Bregenz

Politics

Each crownland had a regional assembly, the Landtag, which sent representatives to the Reichsrat until 1873, when the population was granted universal suffrage based on class differences (high classes got more influence during elections).

The Reichsrat (with 498 members) was a stage of nationalist struggle between Germans and Slavs, more notably Czechs. At first Germans dominated but after an electoral reform in 1907 (which abolished class based suffrage) Slavs gained a majority. For representation in federal matters (finance, defences) the Reichsrat appointed a delegation of 60 members to discuss these matters with the Emperor.

Politics were paralysed because of the tensions between different nationalities. From 1909 onward Emperor Franz Josef autocratically ruled through imperial decrees. The Reichsrat was permanently dissolved in 1914.

Ethnic composition of the population (1910)

Ethnicity % of total Cisleithanian population
Germans 33%
Czechs 22%
Poles 15%
Ruthenians 12%
Slovenes 5%
Italians 3%
Croats and Serbs 3%
Other 7%

For more info see: Austria-Hungary