„An meine getreuen österreichischen Völker“. Das „Völkermanifest“ Karls I. vom 16. Oktober 1918 – Ein später Versuch zur Abwendung des Zerfalls der Habsburgermonarchie?

Abstract

“An meine getreuen österreichischen Völker“. The “Völkermanifest“ of Charles I of Austria from October 16th, 1918 – A late attempt to avoid the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire? Charles I of Austria was Habsburg’s last emperor. The interpretations of his person and reign range from the mythical “emperor of peace“ to the powerless ruler who sees his empire falling apart. On October 16th, 1918, Charles enacted the “Völkermanifest“. The purpose of this paper is to examine the central reasons for this enactmen as well as the political background and driving powers. Was the Manifest the attempt of a monarch to avoid the apparantly inevitable decline of his empire? What are the circumstances of the Manifest’s evolution and why did it fail? The examination focusses also on the reactions of politics, population and the press to the Manifest’s decree.