The Habsburgs: Dynasty, Culture and Politics

by Paula Sutter Fichtner

The death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 not only sparked the beginning of World War I―it also initiated the beginning of the end of the six-hundred-year-old Habsburg dynasty, which fell apart when the war ended, changing Europe forever. But how did the Habsburgs come to play such a decisive role in the fate of the continent? Paula Sutter Fichtner seeks to answer this question in this comprehensive account of the longest-lived European empire.
 
Tracing the origins of the house of Habsburg to the tenth century, Fichtner identifies the principal characters in the story and explores how they were able to hold together such a culturally diverse and multiethnic state for so many centuries. She takes account of the intertwining of culture, politics, and society, revealing the strategies that enabled the dynasty’s extraordinarily long its dazzling mix of cultural propaganda, public performances, and cunning political maneuvering. She points out the irony that one of the crowd-pleasing performances that had enabled the Habsburg success―visiting beds of the injured―led to Ferdinand’s death and the empire’s downfall. Breathing fresh life into the history of the Habsburg reign, this accessible and authoritative history charts one of the pivotal foundation stories of modern Europe.

Genres: History, Royalty, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Paula Sutter Fichtner is professor of history emerita at Brooklyn College and Graduate Center at the City University of New York.

Reviews

[Mark Bahnisch · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little disappointed by a book I had been looking forward to reading. Fichtner certainly knows her Habsburgs, but the themes (dynastic strategy and cultural representation/patronage) are poorly integrated with an essentially chronological narrative of reigns. While enjoyable and well written, the book does not really answer the questions it poses.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good read, but it is not an entry-level, "learn all about the Habsburg Empire" book. It is aptly-labled as examining the "dynasty, culture and politics" and is more of an thematic look at the Habsburgs from the 1200's to almost the current day. The author does not go into a blow-by-blow of wars (both foreign and "civil") but concentrates on how the Habsburgs came to, maintained and then relenquished power in a exceptionally polyglot area. I think I would have benefitted from a more Habsburg 101 type of book first but, again, still a good read to see how they stayed on top for so long.

[Eric Orchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history and explanation of the Hapsburg dynasty.

I'd love to see a more richly illustrated edition.

[Susan Tryforos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit surprised at how boring the Habsburgs apparently were... I didn't care about any of them and I failed to understand why they were such a powerful force for so long.

[Kirstie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much shorter than I would have thought a book about a dynasty that lasted for more than 600 years would have been. Fichtner doesn't cover the medieval periods of the Habsburgs in very much detail; it's not until the 17th and 18th centuries that Fichtner covers things in more detail. But again, just when the dynasty is petering out in the 20th century, the world wars are barely covered at all.

Fichtner's writing style also jumps around quite a bit with no coherent theme behind the jumps, so reading takes some mental gymnastics and you have to be familiar with all of the family names (and be able to keep them straight), as well as some knowledge of the workings of European politics at the time.

[May · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book somewhat challenging to read. I do not get a sense of who these individuals are and why I should even care about what they were trying to do. The book seems to be geared to those who already possess considerable knowledge about the area and the dynastic family.

[Donald Pryde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very hard read in some parts but just enough to keep me interested