The Habsburg Monarchy 1815–1918

This clear and compelling account explains why, a century after its disappearance, the Habsburg Monarchy has never been more relevant.

Steven Beller (Author)

9781107464742, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 10 May 2018

326 pages, 25 b/w illus. 5 maps
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.54 kg

'Beller's balanced and nuanced analysis … sets out a whole range of reasons why the monarchy finally collapsed. His account, exemplary in its concision and clear-headed analysis, will surely stand … as a starting point for future research on the subject.' Joachim Whaley, Journal of Modern History

This clear and compelling account of the Habsburg Monarchy in its last century explains why, a century after its disappearance, it has never been more relevant. With extensive discussion of recent historiographic controversies about the Monarchy's character and viability, Steven Beller presents a detailed account of the main strands of the Monarchy's political history and how its economic, social and cultural development interacted with this main narrative. While recognizing the importance of these larger trends, readers will learn how the historical accident of personality and the complexities of high politics and diplomacy still had a central impact on the Monarchy's fate. Although some would see the Monarchy as an atavistic irrelevance in the modern age, its multicultural, multinational experience and inclusive 'logic' was in many ways more relevant to our modernity than the nationalism that did so much to bring about its demise.

List of figures
Introduction: Austria and modernity
1. 1815–1835: restoration and procrastination
2. 1835–1851: revolution and reaction
3. 1852–1867: transformation
4. 1867–1879: liberalization
5. 1879–1897: nationalization
6. 1897–1914: modernization
7. 1914–1918: self-destruction
Conclusion: Central Europe and the paths not taken
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], European history [HBJD]