Disintegration set in immediately. The Empire fell apart like a house of cards. There had never been a real bond of national feeling to hold together the conglomerate races that composed it. On . Nov. 15 the Republic of Czecho-Slovakia was established, with Prague as its capital. It embraced the former Aus trian crovvnlands of Bohemia, Silesia, and Moravia, together with part of Hungary The area was four times that of Belgium. Its economic resources were great, as before the war it had furnished 60 per cent. of Austrian iron and 83 per cent. of the coal of the Empire. Thomas G. Masaryk was chosen as its first Pres ident, Nov. 19, and a loan of $7,000,000 was negotiated with the United States.
Jugoslavia also sprang into existence at the dissolution of the parent state. It was a confederation of Bosnia, Herze govina, Croatia, Slovenia, and Dalmatia of the former Austrian territory with Montenegro and Serbia, the latter to be the leading member. On Dec. 1 the office of ruler was offered to Prince Alex ander of Serbia and accepted by him. The new government was recognized by the United States Feb. 7, 1919.
Hungary also broke its partnership with Austria, and the Hungarian Peo ple's Republic was proclaimed Nov. 16, 1918, with Karolyi as Provisional President. The Cabinet that was formed, however, proved unable to cope with the terrible conditions that were the after math of the war and resigned in Jan uary, Karolyi himself soon afterward following its example. The Communist elements gained control, and a reign of terror was inaugurated under the Bela Kun regime. See HUNGARY.
Little else than Vienna was left to Austria proper after it had thus been stripped of its richest provinces. On Nov. 13, two days after the Emperor's abdication, the National Assembly de manded the creation of a republic that should bear the name of German Austria, and arrangements were made for the election of a National Constituent Assembly on the basis of universal suf frage. That election took place on Feb.
16, 1919, and the new body proceeded to frame a constitution. A desire prevailed to unite with Germany, but this was later forbidden by the Peace Confer ence.
The framing of the peace treaty with Germany took so much time that it was June 2, 1919, before the Austrian terms were handed to the Austrian delegates at St. Germain-en-Laye, a suburb of Paris. The treaty followed closely the lines of the German treaty. Austria was compelled to recognize the new states of Czecho-Slovakia, Jugoslavia, and Hun gary, and to cede large portions of her remaining territory to Italy and Poland. Of her former population of about 50, 000,000, she lost 43,000,000, and her former area of 240,000 square miles was reduced proportionately. She renounced her extra-European rights, accepted the League of Nations covenant and agreed to demobilize her aerial forces. Other economic and political concessions were demanded by the Treaty, which bore heavily on the vanquished state. As in the case of Germany, the Austrians pro tested vigorously against what they called the harshness of the Allied terms, but after several months of correspond ence and counter-proposals the treaty was signed Sept. 10, 1919. An additional proviso made by the Allies was that the new state must abandon the title of "German Austria" and adopt that of "The Republic of Austria." The economic condition of Austria after the war was worse than that of any other of the vanquished Powers, During the winter of 1919-1920, the in habitants of Vienna were on the actual brink of starvation. Help was afforded by the nations of Europe and especially by the United States, and the people were tided through until the harvests of 1920 helped to bring about a restora tion to more normal conditions. See RELIEF, WAR.