9. Emperor Charles I was nevertheless removed following the abolition of the monarchy and declaration of the First Austrian Republic
Like their German counterparts, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was formed following the fusion of the dual monarchies of Austria and Hungary under the House of Habsburg as part of the Compromise of 1867. Becoming the second-largest country in Europe and one of the foremost powers on the continent, the constitution of the enormous state begun to unravel with the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908. Prompting civil unrest and dire relations with its neighbors, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 by Bosnian Serbs, Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war against the Kingdom of Serbia on July 28, 1914, triggered an onslaught that would become the First World War.
Siding with Germany and the Ottoman Empire in the conflict, Austria-Hungary suffered severe economic degradation and a succession of military defeats, culminating in their eventual surrender. Prompting the dissolution of the unified state, with Hungary ending their relationship with Austria on October 31, 1918, Emperor Charles I, although declining to abdicate, was compelled to surrender his powers of government in November 1918. Becoming insignificant despite refusing to renounce and vacate his title, following the promulgation of the First Austrian Republic on September 10, 1919, his position was formally abolished nevertheless.
