The World War and What was Behind It - The Story of the Map of Europe by Louis P. Benezet
page 47 of 245 (19%)
page 47 of 245 (19%)
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Bulgarian
Slove'nian (southwestern Austria) Croa'tian (southern Austria) Ruthe'nian (northeastern Austria-Hungary, and southwestern Russia) (g) Greek (h) Alba'nian The main source of the present trouble in Europe is that kings and their ministers and generals, like their ancestors, the feudal lords, never considered the wishes of the people when they changed the boundaries of kingdoms. Austria-Hungary is a good example. The Austrians and Hungarians were two very different peoples. They had nothing in common and did not wish to be joined under one ruler, but a king of Hungary, dying, left no son to succeed him, and his only daughter was married to the archduke of Austria. This archduke of Austria (a descendant of the counts of Hapsburg) was also emperor of Germany and king of Bohemia, although the Bohemian people had not chosen him as their ruler. The Hungarians, before their union with Austria, had conquered certain Slavic tribes and part of the Roumanians. Later Austria annexed part of Poland. In this way, the empire became a jumble of languages and nationalities. When its congress is called together, the official announcement is read in eleven different languages. Forty-one different dialects are talked in an area not as large as that of the state of Texas. We must remember that besides the literary or written languages of each country there are several spoken dialects. A man from Devonshire, |
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