Századok – 1996

Tanulmányok - Ormos Mária: Németország és Ausztria–Magyarország viszonya. Az új Mittel-Europa-terv 1917–1918 II/207

228 ORMOS MÁRIA s'articulant le plus gravement autour de la question de la Pologne; et la délégation austro-hongroise a pris une position différente plus tempérée à celle des allemands m^me lors des négociations d'armistice entre l'Ukraine et la Roumanie ainsi qu'au cours des entretiens des paix. La situation de Vienne — qui était déjà en train de s'aggraver — est ébranlée fondamentalement par la suite de la publication d'une proposition de paix séparée, connue sous titre „lettre Sixtus". Et l'empereur Charles et le gouvernement a été obligé de prendre des positions de défense. Les Autrichiens ont consenti à l'union douanière élaborée par les allemands et à la formation de la structure unifiée de l'armée. Les manoeuvres des la double monarchie ont été influencées par la peur d'une occupation militaire allemande pendant les derniers mois de la guerre. Dans le cas de la victoire allemande toujours possible, leur pays deviendra complètement isolé dans une immense zone d'influence allemande et il sera subi à son autorité en perdant sa liberté d'agir. THE RELATIONS OF GERMANY AND AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. THE NEW PLAN FOR MITTELEUROPA, 1917-1918 by Mária Ormos (Summary) The article offers a short summary of the German military and political plans worked out by the German military leadership in the wake of the changes in Russia in 1917 and the collapse of the Russian army. Their concept was to curb Germany's aspirations in the West and extend its influence on a huge empire in the East. The German zone would have included Poland, The Baltic, Ukraine (with advanced posts of the German army and extended control in the south and southeast), the Balkans, and Rumania. This geo-strategic project that otherwise postulated German victory in the West or at least a peace based on a consensus was represented by Hindenburg and Ludendorff and led to sharp debated between the German military and political forces, but the latter were practically too week to enforce their points of view to slow down the military zeal. There were naturally debated also between the German and the Austro-Hungarian representatives, mostly in the Polish question. The Austro-Hungarian delegation represented a more moderate standpoint also in the course of the Ukrainian and Rumanian armistice negotiations and also at the peace negotiations. The positions of Vienna were finally shaken by the publication of the motion for a separate peace called Sixtus letter. Both Emperor Charles and the government were forced to take up a defensive position against Germany. The Austrians practically agreed both to the customs union worked out by the Germans and to the joint organization of the two armies. In the last months of the war, the Dual Monarchy was influenced also by its fear of a German occupation. It also had to take into consideration that in the case of a not quite improbable German victory, Austria would find itself in the center of a huge German sphere of influence, become isolated and lose its freedom of movement.