The matter of independence for those groups came after the end of WWI. It was sensitive since Austro-Hungary was on the losers side of the war and the nations in it were though to have the right to have political control. This triggered nationalistic feelings that were dormant. The Germans taking over the empire was very improbable since the Germans had just lost the war and they would not gain territory or control over other powers. A strong alliance was also not on the cards; the new countries would have little to bind them except history since the people spoke different languages. These differences and the fact that every nation in the mpire wanted to have self-determination would most probably to the collapse of the empire (that is what happened).
