AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. The strong national feel ing on the part of different peoples embraced in the dual monarchy and the peculiar constitution of the Empire have aligned parties chiefly upon race lines. In Cisleithania are the Germans, con stituting roughly one-tnird of the population; the Bohemians or Czechs, not quite one-fourth; the Poles, about one-sixth; several smaller Slavic groups; the Bumans; and the Italians. These are mutually jealous and antagonistic, and this fact determines the policy of the Imperial Ministry, which is, in general, to create its own party support by combining different race groups against the others. After the revolutionary movement of 1848 a period of absolutist reac tion set in, which suppressed all political life for ten years. In 1861. after the failure of an attempt to reorganize the Empire on a federal istic basis, the Government proceeded to estab lish a constitutional system upon a basis of con solidation. In this reconstruction the aspira tions of the Magyars were all but completely ignored. During the period between 1860 and 1867 the so-called Federalist Party stood for Conservatism in its strictest sense, and party government as distinguished from the Imperial policy can hardly be spoken of. After a suspen sion of the Constitution, the compromise of 1867 (see AUSTRIA-HUNGARY and AUSGLEICII) was ar ranged, establishing the present dual system. Un der it party contests in Cisleithania have become more pronounced. The Germans are primarily divided into the Liberal and Conservative parties, the latter of which comprises Feudalists. bureau cratic, and, above all, Catholic elements. But the Germans present by no means a united front.
even as against the pretensions of other nation alities. The Socialists represent, as in Germany, in great measure the aspirations of the liberal elements, while Christian Socialism has become but another name for the rampant party of anti Semitism. Of late the anti•r:crman attitude of the Catholic clergy has given impetus to the so called "Los-von-Rom" movement. which has driven thousands of liberal Germans in Lower Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and Styria into the fold of Protestantism and Old Catholi cism. The nationalist groups or parties are the Czechs, Poles, Ituthcnians, Slovenes. Italians, Croats, and Runains. Of these the most impor tant :n•e the Czechs. This group has its aristo cratic democratic wings. the Old and Young Czechs, who have united in recent years in a demand for the reeognition of the Czeell nation alitr through a union of Bohemia, :Moravia, and Silesia as a kingdom, united with Austria only by trout?, as llungary is, and not organically. The Austrian Slays. with the exception of the l'oles, are very friendly to Russia, while the liberal Germans naturally lean toward Germany. These are united with the Magyars of Hungary in com mon fern• of Slavic domination. The politic-al status of Cisleithania under these conditions is most unsettled. Its Ileichsrat is notoriously dis orderly. and thorough party is possible. Self-interest and the popularity of the Emperor Francis Joseph 1, are the two ele ments that keep the heterogeneous bud together. For Hungary (Trausleithania), see HUNGARY below.