Page 51 - Adriatico 1848. Ricerca e significato della contrapposizione marittima - Atti 25 settembre 1998

TI-IE AUSTRIAN NAVY IN TI-IE ADRIATIC SEA
IN THE REVOLUTIONARY YEAR 1848
PRECONDITIONS AND CONSEQUENCES

ROBERT L. DAUBER

To understand, what happened in the AUstrian navy by the events of 1848,
what was changecl by them - and the changes were fundamental - we have to
approach the theme in three steps:
• The preconditions in the Austrian navy before 1848;
• The Austrian navy in the revolutionary year 1848;
• The consequences of the year 1848 l'or the Austrian navy.

Preconditions of the Allstrian navy before 1848

The Austrian countries united under the Habsburg crown since the 12th cen-
tury hacl up to the 19th century always representecl a continental powcr with not
much undcrstanding l'or the strategic importance of sea-tracle ancl sea power.
'l'his continental attitucle of Austria was also not changed by the fact that in
the 14th century thc city 01' Trieste ancl thc nearby county 01' Duino moved thcm-
selves by their own will under the reign anc\ protection 01' the Austrian-Habsburg
crown and \vhen Austria gained clirect access to the sea, to sea trade ancl to the
obligation to protect their short coasts.
Naturall)' enough the neighbourecl "Queen of the Aclriatic Sea", the sea power
of Venice, saw in their own interest to thc fact that the Austria wOlllcl not gain
much sea tracle ancl power.
'l'his situation ancl continental attitucle 01' the Habsburgs was .- with short
exceptions mainly uncler Emperor ancl Archiduke Karl VI - prevailing through
more than 600 years. 01' course il has to be kept in 111ind, that, notwithstancling
the lack 01' an own fleet, the existing sea -strategie interests of the Austrian Habsburgs
were, al least partially, eovered by dose family relationships with the Habsburgs
of Spain ancl their big Ileets as well as by repeatecl alliances with the great sea
pO\"vers 01' 1110stly Englancl ancl timewise France.
A more permanent even if not fundamental change of the continental attitude
of the Austrian 1110narehy took piace by thc outcome 01' the napoleonic wars. After
the distruction 01' the old sea Republic 01' Venice by Napoleon ancl after the following
peace lreaties between France ancl Austria 01' Campo Formiclo in 1797, ancl finally
after the Congress 01' Vienna 1815, thc Emperor of Austria, in exchange with other