Did the Hapsburgs/Austrians ever have any plans or desires for a unified pan-Germanic nation?

by dwatg1

Not counting the HRE of course.

DonaldFDraper

No, not exactly. There are a few things that prevent the focus on a pan-Germanic nation in a Habsburg mindset: First is language, German wasn't the official language of law, it was Latin. Within the Habsburg realm, you had a plethora of languages that make it difficult to even have the realm unified beyond the crown. Second, ethnic diversity; just like you had a plethora of languages, there was a plethora of ethnicities that wouldn't work in a pan-Germanic nation. Third, the Habsburgs, they didn't see themselves as the unifiers of the German people but rather the rightful rulers of their lands, they were more focused at expanding at the expense of the Ottomans rather than unifying the German people.

Generally, the problem is that the Habsburgs didn't see themselves as Germans in the way the Prussians did. The Habsburgs ruled their land and helped to keep the peace in Europe.