Nationalism contributed to the decline of the hapsburg empire because

Nationalism contributed to the decline of the Hapsburg empire because the empire became paralyzed by nationalist unrest.

Explanation:

Both the Hapsburg and Ottoman Empires were multi-national empires with ethnic minorities ruling over diverse populations. Austrian Hapsburg, for instance, ruled over Hungarians, Italians, and many different Slavic groups. The Ottomans ruled over ethnic Serbs, Greeks, Bulgarians, and Romanians. As nationalist ideologies swept Europe, both empires became increasingly unstable as they attempted to suppress or appease their diverse subjects.