The older historiography had said that nationalism tore the monarchy apart. What many scholars have been looking for is a new narrative history that encompasses the revisionist history of the past few decades. I think Judson’s book sums up a generation of revisionist history. The title of Pieter Judson’s book is The Habsburg Empire: A New History. On that note, let’s turn to the books you’ve chosen on the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Already in 1804, with the writing on the wall, the Habsburg territories had been renamed the Austrian Empire, which didn’t really have a historical precedent.

In 1805 Napoleon wiped these arrangements away, and Austria had to adapt, eventually leading to a Habsburg princess, Marie-Louise, marrying Napoleon. For centuries the Habsburgs had monopolised the title of Holy Roman Emperor and, in addition, had ruled a collection of contiguous lands in Central Europe some of which were in the Holy Roman Empire-like Bohemia-and some of which were not, like Hungary. You see these changes in the actual structure of the Empire as attempts were made to deal with the course of events and the diversity of peoples and traditions.Īt the start, there was the fundamental challenge of the French Revolution and of Napoleon, who occupied Vienna twice. The turbulence comes at the start with the French Revolution and Napoleon, in the middle with the 1848-49 revolutions, then at the end with World War I. Over the course of the nineteenth century, the Habsburg Empire witnessed a combination of turbulence and stability. What I like about the region, I suppose, is this fluidity.

If you had lived in the nineteenth century, it would have been absolutely normal to hear many different languages, to interact with many different people who had different religions, different backgrounds as well as people moving onwards, such as migration to America. The region is extremely rich and diverse, with many overlapping identities and cultures and peoples-I find it fascinating.

Before we get to the books, can you just set the scene in terms of time and place, and why it’s interesting to study this period of Austrian history? To start we had better define exactly what we’re talking about: The Austrian and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the long 19th century, up to the empire’s fall at the end of World War I.

Foreign Policy & International Relations.

Pieter m judson the habsburg empire