Real union
Real union is a union of two or more states, which share some state institutions in contrast to personal unions; however, they are not as unified as states in a political union. It is a development from personal union and has historically been limited to monarchies.
Unlike personal unions, real unions almost exclusively led to a reduction of sovereignty for the politically weaker constituent. That was the case with Lithuania and Norway, which came under the influence of stronger neighbors, Poland and Denmark respectively, with which each of them had shared a personal union previously.
Sometimes, however, a real union came about after a period of political union. The most notable example of such a move is the Kingdom of Hungary, which achieved equal status to Austria in Austria-Hungary following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.
Historical examples
- Habsburg Spain
- Denmark–Norway
- Kingdom of England/Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland
- Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
- Archduchy of Austria and Kingdom of Bohemia
- Russian Empire and Grand Duchy of Finland
- Sweden–Norway
- Russian Empire and Congress Poland :
- :The Organic Statute of the Kingdom of Poland replaced the Constitution of 1815 in the aftermath of the failed November Uprising.
- United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia
- Austria-Hungary
- Hungary-Croatia
- Netherlands-Indonesia Union
- Kingdom of the Netherlands and Suriname