ABSTRACT
"Society," on the other hand, was the sum of all inhabitants and citizens—men as well as women—and, above all, of all social classes: diverse traditions, values and norms, interests and prospects in life. "State" was considered to be synonymous with the coherent forces and forms of "society," with the power and prestige of the ruling house and the imperial court. Examining more closely the social policy changes that took place in Austria during the second half of the nineteenth century. Before examining the social problem in more detail, one must examine the question of how the transformation of the party landscape ran its course in the context of the changed social and constitutional circumstances in place prior to World War I is crucial. When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, thereby triggering a wave of international reactions that culminated in World War I, while a tragedy for the state and an even greater one for mankind was just beginning.
