Page "Deutschlandlied" Paragraph 7
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Haydn was instructed to compose an anthem which could rival in merit the British " God save the King ".
The words " God save Emperor Francis " were inspired by the British anthem, though not the melody, which is from the ( Croatian ) folk tradition.
( A similar melody appears in Telemann.
) The first line of the anthem changed with each new emperor until 1918.
Austrian monarchists continued to use this anthem after 1918 in the hope of restoring the monarchy.
The adoption of the hitherto Austrian anthem by Germany in 1922 was not opposed by Austria, as this helped the government in weakening the monarchist causes.
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