A Concise History of Austria

Cambridge Concise Histories

by Steven Beller

For a small, prosperous country in the middle of Europe, modern Austria has a very large and complex history, extending far beyond its current borders. Today's Austrians have a problematic relationship with that history, whether with the multi-national history of the Habsburg Monarchy, or with the time between 1938 and 1945 when Austrians were Germans in Hitler's Third Reich. Steven Beller's gripping and comprehensive account traces the remarkable career of Austria through its many transformations, from German borderland, to dynastic enterprise, imperial house, Central European great power, failed Alpine republic, German province, and then successful Alpine republic, building up a picture of the layers of Austrian identity and heritage and their diverse sources. It is a story full of anomalies and ironies, a case study of the other side of European history, without the easy answers of more clearly national narratives, and hence far more relevant to today's world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, European History, Travel

350 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Steven Beller is a Visiting Scholar at George Washington University, Washington DC, and a former Research Fellow in History at Peterhouse College, Cambridge.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Concise History of Austria, by Steven Beller, is what the title says. A very concise history of Austria. The book was published in 2004, so it does cut out a decade previously. Even so, the chapters on early Austrian history, and the period of Hapsburg dominance is fascinating. The chronicles of Austria during WWI and WII is also very interesting. Austria is a region that has at times existed on the periphery, and sometimes dominated events. The Hapsburg realms at their greatest extent included much of Europe and South/Central America, but Austria's core territories remained Austria proper, Northern Italy, Hungary, and the Czech Republic (Bohemia). Other territories, like Slovenia, Croatia, southern Poland, Bukovina (Ukraine), and Bosnia all existed within an Austrian-dominated empire. This empire was situated not on nationality, but on the power of the Hapsburg house, and the effectiveness of its rulers. Austria's heyday was during the Baroque era, where dominance over its peasantry, and close contact with the Catholic Church were the main tools of control. Austria remained a deeply conservative empire, with Catholicism, autocratic rule, and the legitimacy of the Hapsburg rulers were the main concern.

Austria began to change as it became increasingly influenced by external events. The growth of ideas, such as nationalism and sovereignty has a huge impact on the Austrian state. Reforms from above were too slow and conservative, and Austria could only rely on the dynamism of its ruling family for so long. Eventually, the system began to crack, as Austria struggled to maintain its hold on its periphery regions. At the onset of WWI, Austria was becoming one of Europe's sick men, but the war took its tole on the regime, and as one of the main losing actors, the Austrian empire was dismembered into nation states - Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, Yugoslavia, Ukraine/Russia and Poland. The Hapsburg family, one of Europe's most successful empire builders, became a footnote in history, and Austria lost its seat as one of the world's great powers.

Of course, history does not stop here. Austria struggled in the interwar years, as forces in Europe continued to cause disruption. Hyperinflation and economic stagnation in interwar Germany effected Austria as well, and the Great Depression say banking collapse in Austria. Financial instability led to political instability, and Austria also suffered an identity crisis. Its people are German; should they be German as well? Austria's legitimacy as a state was in question in interwar Europe, and eventually it did join Germany - albeit forcefully during Anschluss. Antisemitism was rife in interwar Austria, and many of its citizens participated willingly in Germany's Nazi government. After Germany's defeat, Austria was again separated from Germany as its own nation state. Austrian authorities post WWII worked tirelessly to build an Austrian identity, and were largely successful. Participation in the development of a European project, culminating in the European Union, was a key part of this. Anticommunism was another, as Austria sought to keep its precarious foothold as the last Western-orientated European nation before the Iron Curtain. Modern Austria (up to 2004) has seen a developing demographic, as immigration (like Germany) plays a part. Beller notes the rise of right-wing, anti-immigration parties in Austria, as again the nation struggles with its identity. Obviously, history has not ended for Austria. It is a key states in the NATO alliance, a member of the UN and the EU, and an important banking state in the global financial system (often accused of being an offshore tax haven). Its clout bellies its size, but certainly not by much. It is no longer even a major regional power, and instead is closely tied to its larger neighbours economies - ie. Germany and Italy, and a nation lock stepped to the US dominated Western alliance system.

All in all, an interesting read. Solid, concise history is contained within. There is little overall historical analysis -this is a book containing cut and dry facts mostly. Still, an entertaining read with solid information for those looking to read up on Austrian history.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get me the fuck out of Europe at last! I have now read a history of every country in Europe that has one available. This one is pretty neat, big focus on the dilemma of Austrian identity (who the fuck are we?) and how this played out after Austria's big anal love-in with Hitler during WWII and its excoriation of its entire Jewish population, one of the baddest ass Jewish populations ever as the whole bit on Vienna 1900 shows. Nifty bits on culture and how Austrians dealt with the whole being fucking Nazis thing. Beller is an "independent" scholar, which means he can write whatever the fuck he wants, and he does. A nice closer for Europe as I slither into north Africa.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an excellent 'concise' history, and particularly appreciated the theme of the struggle about identity that the author highlighted throughout Austria's complicated history.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two chapters--up to about 1789--were a confusing whirl of names and dates. Where Beller really shines, though, is in his analysis of events about 1880-present (which makes sense, considering his other work on Francis Joseph, etc). The chapters on that time period were fascinating & very well done.

[Freyja Vanadis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finally gave up on this book. It's not what I was looking for at all. I wanted to learn about the history of Austria, such as where the first inhabitants came from and when they arrived there. This book is just about the political history of Austria, which doesn't interest me in the slightest. Also, it's written in such a dry, stuffy, scholarly manner, I had to grit my teeth to get as far as I did.

[Eva]

Not sure how this compares with similar titles but it did exactly what I wanted from it: a well-structured and reasonably engaging history of a country squeezed into a manageable chunk.

[Jade Vandel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Concise" is the key word in this title. Over a thousand years of history neatly condensed into a relatively short book. It was a phenomenal overview of the history of the modern country, and acknowledges it's shortcomings in being "concise," there were many instances throughout my read where I would have really appreciated elaboration, such as the Spanish Influenza, what the city of Vienna did with cemeteries during the process of modernization, or the circumstances of deaths of many elites (or fires). My favorite bit of history that it managed to slip in was the history behind the development of the Kipfel (croissant), which, according to the book (p.71) was actually invented to celebrate the successful defense of Vienna during an attack from the Turks in 1683. The conclusion of the book was very reflective on the current political situation in both Austria and the larger European Union and provided a very easily digestible overview of the current government.

[Charles Berteau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part of a series of concise histories, and lives up to the name - covering 1000 years plus of "Austrian" history in just over 300 pages. The first challenge with a book on the history of Austria, of course, is defining exactly what that term means, since there was no state of Austria, per se, until the establishment of the Austrian Empire in 1806. The author opts for the sensible approach of a history of the Babenberg and Habsburg families and territories, yielding a history of the Habsburg/Holy Roman Empire for much of the time covered...though with an emphasis on the lands that would ultimately become modern Austria, and less focus elsewhere.

This still results in a tremendous scope both in time and geography, and Beller does a good job in producing a readable, relatively comprehensive product within the format of the series. The book is well indexed, and the author's style is readable, if a bit dry. There are a number of good maps, but more would always be useful.

Overall, it's a good book that serves its intention well. I had only a couple of quibbles. First - and perhaps unavoidably in a book this brief on a topic this broad - there is a good bit of contextual knowledge assumed of the reader...mostly of a general European nature. I'm no expert, and I had to Google various topics throughout the book to understand fully what I was reading. Secondly, the author's personal political opinions - take a guess as to which way he leans - become all too evident in the final chapter, when the FPÖ and Jörg Haider make their appearance on the scene. One is left with the conclusion that the author would view any right-leaning government that is concerned with immigration as xenophobic and regressive. I understand that its World War II history makes Austria especially sensitive to the risks of "othering," but good grief let your readers draw their own conclusions.

Overall, though, I haven't run across any better book for an introduction to the long, complex history of this fascinating country. My quibbles notwithstanding, I do recommend it for that purpose.

[Anyu Dong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the last three chapters and read it more than three times in a row. Some may call it dry but personally I enjoyed it. However, the other chapters are a diary of events, simply giving years and names of incidents with little explaination, which is sometimes confusing (exp. the row of names of the Habsburgs in Medieval) and comparably lacks insights. Yet I think it makes sense to skip some parts and focus on the author's speciality to make it a 'concise' history. After all, this is a good book to get know of Austria-Hungary, the first republic and modern Austria.

[Lars Harssan · Rating 1 out of 5]

what should've been a facinating story turns into a mechanical listing of mostly minor political maneuverings.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read before going to Austria and while in Austria.

Good summary! Made the country come alive.

[Willow Rankin · Rating 1 out of 5]

*DNF*

I read history for pleasure as well as for knowledge - and this book narratively was everything I hate about earning history. Sure is their facts, absolutely and they come quick and concise - so much so that this book felt like it was written lists of Kings, their era ruling some notable wars/battles they fought in and how good at diplomacy/marriages they were.
This book is boring - and I can almost guarantee that the era the book is writing about (the whole history of the region of Austria) is not. As I am looking to learn more about Austria due to my family's history - the book itself is so immensely dry that I just couldn't get through it.
Not one for me and my reading preferences; so rather than bore myself on this topic I gave up.

[Amber Hooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to read this book in preparation for a semester long study abroad trip to Europe, about half of it being in Vienna, Austria. I did learn some interesting things from this book, but I hardcore skimmed at least 80% of it. The last two chapters were much more interesting than the first four, probably because I knew a little more about that time of history anyway and the things that happened then seem more relevant to today than the stuff that happened in (or before) the year 1000.

[Anonymous4999 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the history of Austria, from the Eastern March passing through the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg monarchy, the "Hitler Time" and all the way to its entrance into the European Union.
The author becomes very ideological in the last chapter and the conclusion but the first 4 chapters are very informative for those unacquainted with the history of this small (formerly MUCH larger) Alpine nation.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent review of a Austrian history. While I do wish that it continued up to the current time (it ends in the mid 2000s), each epoch of the empire and country is handled with great interest. I liked that the author states that Austria has a history much greater than the size of the country, meaning that today's Austria passed from international, multiethnic empire to fledgling state to enlightened community to dark subset of Germany to post war powerhouse.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The mix of repression and incompetence [in the 19th century Habsburg monarchy] had a deadening effect on civic life, a sense of political and intellectual stasis." (117)"

"The emigration [of Jews] has meant to this day that Austria's heritage exists around the world in a way which many modern-day Austrians still only partly grasp." (313)

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise it is, but if you're looking for a relatively quick survey, recognizing that means it will skip or skim quite a bit, this is excellent. The obvious major lack is that it is now 20 years old, meaning it is missing the 2008 financial crisis, EU expansion, rise of Russian aggression, etc.

[Renato da Milano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting account. The good thing with History is that, no matter how much you try to portrait a nation, in the case of Austria replacing complicity with victimization, you will never be able to change the past and sooner or later it will haunt you.

[Audrey Blandford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my Austrian History course.

[Jakob Scherm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Konsis og presis. Det finnes visst en hel serie med disse konsise historiene om land X. Kommer nok ikke til å løpe til butikkene for å hente meg en slik konsis berettelse om land X, men muligheten for å kunne gjøre det finnes jo. Det bærer jeg med meg videre.
Og at akkurat dette landet har en spennende historie som her er fint og overkommelig beskrevet.

[Eray Simsek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Habsburgs felt more obliged to be tolerant toward protestants in the lands that were directly under Turkish threat. Because they relied on the taxes of wealthier protestant regions.
crypto-catholicism
Austria = forced conformity to superstitious religion
Königgratz 1866 ended Austria's claim to German leadership, Austria is no longer a part of Germany.
Vienna 1900 invented the 20th century. The integration of the Central European jewry made it happen.
1908 revolution caused Austria to annex Bosnia, because they feared a Turkish election there. Austria’s balkan policy antagonized Serbia and Russia, as well as it’s Slavic subjects. Serbian irredentism, loss of prestige.
Austria became a german puppet in the great war and lost its importance for the major powers.
Nobody felt affiliated to Habsburgs in 1918. Attachment to Austria was always low.
German Austria was a state that no one wanted. Socialists and nationalists were interested in anschluss, only catholic right started a Babenberg revival.
Austria could spend more on investments because they did not spend on defence. Conservatives loved tourism because it allowed properity without modernity.

[Evan G · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is accurate. My basic layman's understanding of history didn't really include much about Austria. I only really knew about an assassinated archduke and couldn't really describe an Austrian identity outside of German-speaking bodybuilders and the Von Trapp family.

The pre-WWI section might be familiar with someone with vague memories of AP euro or other introductory history classes. I could have used a more expanded view of what 'Austria' was, independent of the Hapsburgs or a more thorough explanation of Napoleon's ambitions, but I guess that wouldn't be "concise".

The text became more interesting when describing the last century. It turns out I'm not alone in not knowing what the Austrian identity - many Austrians felt the same way. The development of a new country independent from both Germany or the rest of the Hapsburg lands is something I had never thought about before.

I didn't know that Austria was occupied by the allies until the mid-50s and then became a border state during the Cold War or that an Austrian Nazi war-hero once led the UN. There were all kinds of little factoids like that about a country that many people confuse with a kangaroo-filled island half a world away.

Overall, not a bad book to read if you're planning to vacation in central Europe but (similar to Austria) this book constantly comes close to interesting historical movements, but never reaches them.

[WaldenOgre · Rating 3 out of 5]

“奥地利人可以说是个没有历史的民族，奥地利历史则是一段没有民族的历史。”但以如此单薄的篇幅去涵盖如此大跨度历史的结果，就是断层太多以至于记忆远多于理解。

[Al Maki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and dense as can be and yet still readable and interesting. The history of this area is a part of the development of Western Civilization that I don't think gets enough attention in the English speaking world.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interested after our recent trip there.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Preparing for my visit!

[Hqwxyz · Rating 4 out of 5]

将奥地利的历史清晰明了的表述出来，对于奥地利人身份认同的历史及现状给予了大量关注。精彩。