Otto Bauer, a prominent Austro-Marxist theorist, addressed the “national question” primarily in the context of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was a diverse and multi-ethnic state. His solution, detailed in his work “The Question of Nationalities and Social Democracy” (1907), was innovative for its time and focused on a cultural and personal autonomy model. Here’s a brief overview of his approach:

1. Cultural Autonomy: Bauer advocated for the cultural autonomy of different nationalities. This meant that each nationality, regardless of where individuals lived, would have the right to organize their own educational and cultural institutions. This system was to be funded by members of the national group, not by territory.
2. Personal Principle: Unlike the traditional notion of territorial autonomy, Bauer’s model was based on the “personal principle.” This principle meant that people’s national affiliation was a matter of personal choice, and they could belong to a national community regardless of where they lived within the empire.
3. Combining Socialism and Nationalism: Bauer attempted to reconcile socialism with nationalism. He believed that national conflicts were rooted in capitalist structures and that these could be resolved in a socialist society where cultural and personal autonomy were respected.
4. Preventing Dominance of One Nationality: Bauer’s model aimed to prevent any single nationality from dominating others within the empire. Each national group was to have its own self-governing institutions for cultural and educational matters, thereby reducing ethnic tensions.

Bauer’s ideas were influential in socialist circles and contributed to discussions about how to manage national diversity within a socialist framework. However, his ideas were not implemented in practice, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire eventually dissolved after World War I. His approach to the national question remains a significant contribution to Marxist theory on nationalism and the challenges of multi-ethnic states.