The attempts to federalize the Austrian monarchy

The topic of this doctoral thesis is an analysis of the attempts to federalize the Austrian monarchy occurring between 1848 and 1918. Special focus is given to the political program and concept of a state in the works of František Palacký. The first part of the thesis will introduce chronologically all principal ideas and theories which Palacký created during his life and which concern his concept of organization of the multi-national Austrian monarchy and of the Czech lands within the monarchy. Attention will be paid not only to the general grounds on which Palacký based his political program but also to the practical side of his political activities. In the same time, the most important political events and changes in the Austrian state will be mentioned from 1848 - the year when Palacký entered the political scene - to the year 1876 when he died. The first part will be devoted to the description of Palacký's character, especially his activities outside politics. The next part will focus especially on his activity in the Constituent Assembly in Vienna and Kroměříž in 1848-49. A detailed essay on Palacký's most important theoretical work, Ideje státu rakouského (Idea of the Austrian State) will form the centre of the third part. The individual chapters of the part will also deal with his other..