[quote=FlyerInHi][quote=all]
This reminds me of a pre-WWI article about separatist movements in Austro-Hungarian territories as 19th century anachronism. The same argument is used whenever a group of people favors the current circumstances. Fourth century Romans argued the same.
[/quote]
I don’t quite get this. Everybody knew that the Autro-Hungarian empire was made up of many nationalities and that the empire itself was anachronistic. That’s why it fell apart.[/quote]
It might be self-evident today, but it was not particularly popular position in Vienna 100 years ago. The Empire was industrialized, expanding, adopting and elevating the subjects’ standard. The infrastructure put in place during that time is still in use. Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne, was working on federalization of the country. It would make as much sense for UK or US to disintegrate today. After all, a hundred years later the splintered territories are jumping through the hoops to get back where they were pre-WWI.
So a century ago the irredentism was seen as 19th century anachronism and the quoted article dismisses it as 20th century phenomenon. It will be described as a relic of 21st century 100 years from now.
