Just thinking about the Austro-Hungarian Empire today (again.) The thing was litterally blown to smithereens by the end of World War I. Today, over 15 countries - most of them impoverished and unstable to this day - can be found in the South Eastern part of Europe the Empire straddled in 1913.

Running the place must have basically been like watching a schizophrenic try to herd a dozen rabid cats.

They sure had beautiful paper money, though.