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Cisleithania (German Zisleithanien) was the name of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual monarchy which was created in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. The Cisleithanian lands remained part of the Empire of Austria.
The capital was Vienna.
It had a population of 28,571,900 in 1910
The name of Cisleithania derives from Leitha river, because most of its territory lay west (or to "this" side, from an Austrian perspective) of it.
Provinces
It consisted of 15 crownlands, which had representatives in the Reichsrat (Cisleithanian parliament):
Politics
Each crownland had a regional assembly, the Landtag, which sent representatives to the Reichsrat until 1873, when the population was granted universal suffrage based on class differences (high classes got more influence during elections).
The Reichsrat (with 498 members) was a stage of nationalist struggle between Germans and Slavs, more notably Czechs. At first Germans dominated but after an electoral reform in 1907 (which abolished class based suffrage) Slavs gained a majority.
For representation in federal matters (finance, defences) the Reichsrat appointed a delegation of 60 members to discuss these matters with the Emperor.
Politics were paralysed because of the tensions between different nationalities.
From 1909 onward Emperor Franz Joseph autocratically ruled through imperial decrees.
The Reichsrat was permanently dissolved in 1914.
Ethnic composition of the population (1910)
| Ethnicity | % of total Cisleithanian population
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| Germans | 33%
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| Czechs | 22%
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| Poles | 15%
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| Ruthenians | 12%
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| Slovenes | 5%
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| Italians | 3%
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| Croats and Serbs | 3%
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| Other | 7%
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For more info see: Austria-Hungary
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