Austro-Hungarian economy

[Karl]

We have some 1990 $ values and we have conversion rates for about 1910. Converting 1910 money to 1990 values I think is not important at this time nor does it interest me much right now. The important thing was to compare these values to other country’s money with just one currency and because this section is about AH let’s stick to the Crown. Other comparisons can be made later if there is interest.

LA PCI 850 Crowns = about 172 Dollars or = about 722 Marks or = about 35 Pounds.
BH PCI 761 Crowns = about 154 Dollars or = about 647 Marks or = about 32 Pounds.
GA PCI 316 Crowns = about 64 Dollars or = about 268 Marks or = about 13 Pounds.
BK PCI 310 Crowns = about 63 Dollars or = about 263 Marks or = about 13 Pounds.
DM PCI 264 Crowns = about 53 Dollars or = about 224 Marks or = about 11 Pounds.

[hauptmannn]

How does 850 crowns compare to the per capita income of other european nations?

[Karl]

850 CR represents the p/c of the province Lower Austria only so not comparable. For your reference the dollar equivalent is $172 (c. $2924 at 1993 value).

Here are the p/c of other nations (incl. A-H) for comparison in dollars:
1914 value /c. 1993 value

United States
$377 /$6409
Britain
$244 /$4148
Germany
$184 $3128
France
$153 $2601
Italy
$108 $1836
Austria-Hungary
$57 $969
Russia
$41 $697
Japan
$36 $612

[Kloster]

hello all, was reading your topic and did a little search.

could this be of any use?

...The importance of the exchange rate is that it enables conversion of a foreign price or value into dollars, and also a dollar price or value into the foreign currency. The foreign magnitude is divided by the exchange rate to obtain the dollar equivalent; because the inverse of the exchange rate is the number of dollars per unit of foreign currency. For example, for Austria in 1913, the inverse exchange rate, 1/K4.96 = $0.2016, is the number of dollars per kronen. An Austrian good that cost K100 in that year would also be worth K100 x $0.2016 = $20.16. Similarly, a dollar price or value can be expressed in Austrian currency by multiplying the dollar magnitude by the exchange rate....

from http://www.eh.net/hmit/exchangerates/infoeurope.htm

best regards
Kloster

[hauptmannn]

I always thought that the German part of Austria was wealthy and comparable to Germany and that the other areas with other ethnic groups were relatively poor.

[Karl]

I always thought that the German part of Austria was wealthy and comparable to Germany

Yes, but you cannot compare provinces to countries.

and that the other areas with other ethnic groups were relatively poor.

Yes this is true.

Look, take an old map of A-H and take a modern map of A and compare and you will see. The German provinces are very small. Okay?

Is it clear?

[hauptmannn]

I am fully aware of what you said Karl. I am just wondering what was the GDP of all "German" provinces i.e. those in modern Austria and the Sudetenland

[Karl]

I am fully aware

This is a good sign, hauptmann.

Viel erfolg.

[hauptmannn]

Karl, i don't understand why you're using a condescending tone of voice.

[Karl]

Forget it.

A misunderstanding I suppose.

Back to the topic: it was interesting and I think we achieved all we set out to do and that is just great. Thanks to all who contributed - especially Mr Thompson and Mark (and of course to you Hauptmann, for originally initializing it).

Happy New Year.

Karl

[Gwynn Compton]

Just an aside on an earlier discussion in this thread about railways in Austria-Hungary, I've just got myself a 1916 publication that shows raillines in central europe, hopefully this weekend I'll get some scans up of the pages in regards to Austria-Hungary and get those up here for us.

Gwynn

[hauptmannn]

That would be great Gwynn!

[chronos20th]

Here are some A-H statistics for 1910 prepared for the 1910AD Game



steel 2.46m tons 3.90%
coal 50.7 m tons
manufact.
in 1910 world trade
imports £119m
exports £101m
railways 28,750 miles


In £'s % GNP % NNP %Pub. Exp. % interest
Gross National Product £1,250million
Net National Product £961.5million
National Debt £380.1million 39.50% 4%
Total Public Expenditure £212.5million 17.00%
(Defence Expenditure) £25 million 2.00% 2.60% 11.50%
(Annual interest on bonds) £15.2million

I have got the conversion rates for the different currencies somewhere. A lot of this should be available in your public library.

"The Pity of War" is good on comparing economic strengths.

The big problem for A-H was their low percentage defence expediture compared to the other powers

[dead-cat]

recently i purchased a book "Eisenbahnen im Ersten Weltkrieg" ("Railroads in the First World War"). using that book as source, i have to correct the rolling stock figures i gave on this thread some time earlier to:

Germany (1913)

29 520 engines (all types)
65 180 passenger coaches
689 190 freight cars (bagagge/mail cars included)
61 404 km track
301 215 state employees and
485 250 workers

as a comparision, today, the German Railways (DB) employs about 243.700 people.

Austro-Hungarian figures for the rolling stock are unfortunatly not given, as they are hard to come by. however, i estimate the number of rail cars to be around 500 000 and the number of locos around 18-20 000.

between July 28th and Aug. 15th 1914, the A-H. railway transported

about 1.5 million men
about 1 million horses
200 000 t supplies

using about 4000 trains with an average lenght of 50 railcars/train.
the speed was very low. as an example, the 3rd army HQ left Pressburg/Bratislava on Aug. 5th at 06:00 and arrived in Sambor (Southern Hungary) on Aug. 10th at 06:00.
the author claims the army could have marched the distance in those 5 days by foot.

[Gwynn Compton]

Just on those maps, I'll hopefully either scan them up tonight, or tomorrow morning. Though it might take a little longer as I'll have to piece the maps together.

Gwynn