Bosniaks and the Austro-Hungarian Empire

 This is Dževada Šuśko's study of how Bosniaks adapted to the Austro-Hungarian Empire's occupation of Bosnia in 1878 and its formal annexation in 1908.

Bosnia and Herzegovina fell under Austro-Hungarian rule in 1878, when the Congress of Berlin approved the occupation of the Bosnia Vilayet, which officially remained part of the Ottoman Empire. Three decades later, in 1908, Austria-Hungary provoked the Bosnian crisis by formally annexing the occupied zone, establishing the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the joint control of Austria and Hungary.

Bosnia was different to other parts of the Balkans occupied by the Ottoman Empire in that it had a large Muslim population, known as Bosniaks, who formed an effective border community against Austrian expansion in the Balkans for centuries. As they looked to the Ottoman caliphate, they were not driven by the nationalism that gripped many other Balkan states in the 19th century. This study examines how the shift in power from Ottoman to Austro-Hungarian rule in 1878 affected the Bosnian people, who suddenly found themselves under European rather than Islamic authority, and how they navigated this transition in terms of faith and loyalty. Of course, not everyone did, and there were waves of emigration.

The Austrians had historically made a mess of their Balkan invasions, and the Catholic state had a mixed record in dealing with parts of the empire that professed a different faith. However, Bosnia was given the status of a separate entity within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Despite initial mistrust, a rapport of sorts with the Austria-Hungary occupiers was reached to the extent that Bosniaks even began enlisting in the Empire’s military following their religious demands of halal food, Friday prayers (Jumu‘ah), Ramadan, etc., being accommodated. This led to a complex interaction, with a degree of loyalty engendered toward the Austrian state, as well as toward the Islamic faith and its cultural heritage.

This book developed out of a PhD thesis, so there is a lengthy discussion of the theoretical framework and sources that the general reader may want to skip. There is a chapter that covers who the Bosniaks were and their development since the Ottoman invasion. There are lots of myths about this, and the chapter outlines the key developments. With the conquest of Bosnia by the Ottoman Empire, adherents of the Bosnian Church and a part of the Catholic and Orthodox population converted to Islam. Bosniaks are not left behind Turks, as some persist in arguing. The impact of developments in the surrounding states is equally important, as Bosnia did not exist in isolation, despite the mountainous terrain.

The Bosniaks were torn between showing loyalty to the Ottoman Empire, to an autonomous state of Bosnia, or to Austria-Hungary. Their main fear was losing their religious identity. The meat of this study is how the Bosniaks accommodated to the new rule and adopted Central European standards. The first conscription law was promulgated in 1881, and the author outlines how the Austrians imposed very different conditions of service on Bosniaks. The Ottoman state did not object to conscription, and Islamic scholars approved of the conditions of service. This took the steam out of possible revolts. During WW1, Bosnian Serbs took sides with Serbia, whereas Bosniaks and Croats sided with the Austro-Hungarian military. Austria, being allied with the Ottoman Empire, obviously helped. The Shaykh al- Islam issued a fatwa to proclaim a jihad, arguing that Russia had proven itself to be the enemy of Islam and Muslims. Its politics were supported by England and France and aimed at destroying the Ottoman Empire as well as the Muslim populations in the Balkans. 

Bosniak soldiers not only protected the borders of their home country, but they were also deployed to the Russian and Italian fronts. Some Austrian officers argued that the Bosniaks were a military elite within the Austro-Hungarian army. They were praised because they were the youngest, described as the most courageous, cooperative, cordial, and persistent of men, extremely loyal to their task and work. 

This might appear to be a rather specialist study, but there is plenty of material of wider interest that explains the role of Bosniaks in later conflicts, including WW2 and the Balkan wars of the 1990s. As the author concludes, "History bears witness that as long as their religious identity and practice, as well as the territorial integrity of their home country Bosnia and Herzegovina, and mother tongue has not been endangered, Bosniaks have adapted to new political, social and educational systems." It is also available as a free ebook, so no risk in giving it a go.

I do have some WW2 Bosniaks as Warlord do head conversions, but not for WW1. I can't see a range, so it looks like another conversion.

I do have Austrians of the period.

We shouldn't forget that the 'spark' for WW1 happened in Sarajevo. This is in the museum at the site of the assassination. Lovely city to visit.