Austro-Hungarian Empire

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, established in 1867, was a dual monarchy that united the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary under a single monarch, Emperor Franz Joseph I. While both regions shared a ruler, they maintained separate governments, laws, and certain administrative functions. This arrangement aimed to balance the diverse ethnic groups and nationalities within the empire, including Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, and Slavs. However, underlying tensions often arose due to nationalistic aspirations, leading to challenges in governance and contributing to the empire's eventual collapse after World War I in 1918.