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The Habsburgs: The Rise and Fall of a World Power

The Habsburgs: The Rise and Fall of a World Power

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  • Create Date：2021-10-26 09:54:24
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Martyn Rady
  • ISBN：0241332621
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Summary

In The Habsburgs， Martyn Rady tells the epic story of a dynasty and the world they built - and then lost - over nearly a millennium。 From modest origins， the Habsburgs grew in power to gain control of the Holy Roman Empire in the fifteenth century。 Then， in just a few decades， their possessions rapidly expanded to take in a large part of Europe stretching from Hungary to Spain， and parts of the New World and the Far East。 The Habsburgs continued to dominate Central Europe throughout the First World War。

Historians often depict the Habsburgs as leaders of a ramshackle empire。 But Rady reveals their enduring power， driven by the belief that they were destined to rule the world as defenders of the Roman Catholic Church， guarantors of peace and patrons of learning。 The Habsburgs is the definitive history of a remarkable dynasty that forever changed Europe and the world。

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Reviews

Andrew Canfield ，

In terms of their impact on broader world events， it would be difficult to find a better continental European dynasty to study than the Habsburgs。 Author Martyn Rady creates an excellent portrait of the Habsburg family’s centuries of rule in central and western Europe， bringing readers along from the fourteenth century reign of Rudolf I， the initial king of the Habsburg line， through the dynasty’s collapse at the conclusion of the First World War。 A strong understanding of both Austria and the r In terms of their impact on broader world events， it would be difficult to find a better continental European dynasty to study than the Habsburgs。 Author Martyn Rady creates an excellent portrait of the Habsburg family’s centuries of rule in central and western Europe， bringing readers along from the fourteenth century reign of Rudolf I， the initial king of the Habsburg line， through the dynasty’s collapse at the conclusion of the First World War。 A strong understanding of both Austria and the rest of the Germanic lands’ past will be gained from spending time with this book。Early on， Rady fills readers in on the beginnings of the ‘Habsburg’ name， one origin story of which has it deriving from ‘Hawk’s Castle，’ （or Habichtsburg in German）， a fortress located in present day Switzerland。 The book swiftly winds through the various characters and events populating the Habsburgs' nearly six centuries of power， and the author impressively distills each of them into memorable， well-told anecdotes。 The letters A， E， I， O， U were adopted during the time of Frederick III as a sort of unofficial Habsburgs family motto， letters whose meaning boils down to an abbreviation of “Austriae est imperare orbi universo，” or “It falls to Austria to rule over the whole globe。” These were utilized to drive home the sense of authority each successive member of this Germanic felt。Frederick III’s son， Maximilian the First “The White King，” （1459-1519） was presented in the book as the monarch who catapulted the Habsburgs into becoming of the major powers in the whole of Europe。This book deserves credit for extending its breadth to focus on things beyond war making and crass political maneuvering。 Rudolf II’s fascination with alchemy and astrology made for an interesting section and his efforts to establish Prague as a center of alchemic study set him aside as one of many unique family members。 Although dabbling in Freemasonry was by no means unique to the Habsurgs， their connection to it enters another interesting thread into the book’s narrative。The fascination within the Habsurg court with the Mechanical Turk， an automaton which could “play” chess and was classified as an eighteenth century novelty， was another offbeat but compelling portion of The Habsburgs to read。 This idea of a clockwork machine whose cogs make it go is connected to the idea of the developing state as its own bureaucratic， well-functioning organism designed to best enrich the lives of its subjects。Maria Theresa’s efforts to disprove the wild rumors of vampires that were being spread around the empire’s eastern outposts of Serbia and Transylvania was another unexpected section that the author did well to include。 Maria Theresa， wife of Francis I and Archduchess of Austria and queen of Bohemia and Hungary， was the only female to reign over the Habsburgs lands， and she plays a major role in the second half of the book。 Her reign coincided with the War of the Austrian Succession in the 1740s and saw the butting of heads with Prussia over dominance in the Germanic lands。 Martyn Rady was more than willing to show the Habsburg warts in addition their successes。 For example， Chapter Six details Charles V’s descent into unenviable health during the 1500s。 This resulted in an unnerving decline-both physical and mental in nature- and an autopsy stating he died with a ‘heart was the size of a peppercorn; his lungs corroded; his intestines rotten and gangrenous; he had a single testicle， black as coal， and his head was full of water。’， was one example of many demonstrating the poor health-some of which was caused by inbreeding-suffered by the dynasty。The Spanish Habsburgs efforts to extend their reach to the New World provides one of several international wrinkles to the storyline。 In South America in particular the challenge of exporting their ideas of proper religion and governance becomes apparent。 These efforts in the Americas do not just stop after the time of men like Magellan and Cortes; the mid-nineteenth century journey of Franz Joseph’s brother Maximilian to Mexico is something that sounds straight out of a novel and could have an entire book dedicated just to its plot twists。 Granted the title of Emperor in an attempt to cement ties between the Mexican people and Europe， Maximilian was plunged into overseas internal politics which resulted in his death by firing squad。But there is plenty of warfare in the book’s four hundred plus pages。 The naval battle of Lepanto， a Holy League-led victory over the Ottomans in 1571， is covered with the sort of informative but breezy writing mastered by Rady。 The loss of Habsburg strength as a naval power-resulting in Neptune no longer being used as the family’s unofficial-and the switch to their time as a continental land power is explained in this thorough work of nonfiction。 The throwing in of the Habsburg lot with the Catholic League during the Thirty Years War receives ample paragraph space。 Even the widespread nature of the Thirty Years War， a field of conflict which even extended to tug-of-war with the Dutch in Africa， does not fall off Rady's radar。Hungary’s fight for rule independent of the Habsburgs and the role men like Louis Kossuth played in those efforts are written about in the broader context of the 1848 uprisings。 The discomfort of Habsburg leaders with the idea of too much bottom-up democracy and the ceding of too much autonomy to their dynasty’s outposts come across well in this era。 The switch toward nationalism as a defining feature of states in the empire was a relatively late development， picking up steam in the late twentieth century and causing religion to then take a back seat when it came to identity。The struggles against the family’s rule and the complicated political and religious alliance this caused in anti-Habsburg portions of the empire like Bosnia-Herzegovina， Serbia， and Croatia revealed the challenges of effectively governing a polyglot collection of states。 The seeds for multiple twentieth conflicts were planted by the fractious former situation。 The 1914 assassination of Franz Ferdinand， an archduke and the heir to the Habsurg throne， at the hands of Serb nationalists was an obvious one than not only got the ball rolling on millions of deaths but also brought an end to the dynasty four years later。 The 1990s war in Bosnia was yet another conflict with devastating roots in past Habsburg policies。This book is a really great distillation of formative centuries in Europe’s past。 A sprawling family story that could not have been easy to tell， Rady nevertheless breaks it down into a series of anecdotes and dramas that bring comprehension of many moving parts。 The Habsburgs: To Rule the World is above average nonfiction writing and provides a good starting point to understanding Europe’s development。 -Andrew Canfield Denver， Colorado 。。。more

Liam J。 ，

Absolutely marvelous book， readable， informative， enjoyable， if you are in any doubt about this book then read the Guardian review， easily available on Google， and I see no reason to repeat what it say。 If in doubt just read and enjoy。

Sally O'wheel ，

I didn't finish this。 I didn't finish this。 。。。more

James Alexander ，

Excellent overview of the Habsburg family which in the past has been a confusing mystery to me。 Great to get a good perspective on how they did so much for European History。

Megan ，

3。5 stars。A solid and admirable attempt at condensing nine hundred years of history into under 350 pages。 I liked how the chapters were relatively short and easily readable， meaning that you didn't always feel like you were bogged down。 But I found that some of the thematic chapters dragged on a bit too much for my liking， but perhaps that was simply my expectations of a more biographical-approach。 3。5 stars。A solid and admirable attempt at condensing nine hundred years of history into under 350 pages。 I liked how the chapters were relatively short and easily readable， meaning that you didn't always feel like you were bogged down。 But I found that some of the thematic chapters dragged on a bit too much for my liking， but perhaps that was simply my expectations of a more biographical-approach。 。。。more

Gabrielle O'Kelly ，

Not as expectedA commentary， more than a history。 I am disappointed。 There is no theme to draw the reader forward in this book。

Siebe ，

Altijd wel geinteresseerd geweest in geschiedenis， maar weinig vertrouwen gehad in geschiedenisboeken: teveel feiten en te weinig overview， diepgang etc。 Dit leek een interessant boek， omdat het in 300 bladzijdes bijna 1000 jaar bestrijkt。 En ik had van iemand die het kon weten gehoord dat het een mooi boek was。 Maar het viel me tegen， en mijn verzet tegen geschiedenisboeken werd ook weer deels bevestigd。 Teveel feiten， gebeurtenissen en jaartallen， daarnaast een soort thematische benadering die Altijd wel geinteresseerd geweest in geschiedenis， maar weinig vertrouwen gehad in geschiedenisboeken: teveel feiten en te weinig overview， diepgang etc。 Dit leek een interessant boek， omdat het in 300 bladzijdes bijna 1000 jaar bestrijkt。 En ik had van iemand die het kon weten gehoord dat het een mooi boek was。 Maar het viel me tegen， en mijn verzet tegen geschiedenisboeken werd ook weer deels bevestigd。 Teveel feiten， gebeurtenissen en jaartallen， daarnaast een soort thematische benadering die desondanks mij niet enthousiast kon maken om door te lezen。 Ik heb een half jaar over het boek gedaan， en alleen dankzij mijn vurige wens het uit te lezen is dat ook gelukt。 In zekere zin werd ik daarvoor beloond， want de laatste hoofdstukken vond ik het best。 De hoofdstukken over de aanloop naar WOI en WOI zelf。 Misschien ben ik ook meer van de recente geschiedenis， dat zegt meer over mij dan over het boek。 。。。more

Suanne Laqueur ，

For those European history geeks who enjoy this sort of European history geek-out， this is the sort of European history geek-out they will enjoy。I read， I geeked， I enjoyed。 Now， should I dive into the life of Charles V next？ Or Philip II？

Justin ，

A narrative history of the central European ruling dynasty。Drags a big at the beginning but becomes really interesting in the description of the last two centuries of Hapsburg rule。

Jessica ，

This is dry and academic。 Not a real good narrative or thread thru it。 I was interested after visiting the Hofburg in Vienna and how a monarchy that covered Spain to Italy fell apart。 It has little in way of covering the most interesting: Empress Maria Theresa （mother of Marie Antoinette-also had 16 kids in 20 years） and Empress Sisi who was famous for her beauty also assassinated。 Bright spots: I know how the Spanish riding school and stallions ended up in Vienna and why Archduke Franz Ferdinan This is dry and academic。 Not a real good narrative or thread thru it。 I was interested after visiting the Hofburg in Vienna and how a monarchy that covered Spain to Italy fell apart。 It has little in way of covering the most interesting: Empress Maria Theresa （mother of Marie Antoinette-also had 16 kids in 20 years） and Empress Sisi who was famous for her beauty also assassinated。 Bright spots: I know how the Spanish riding school and stallions ended up in Vienna and why Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination started World I。 Not a total waste of time。 。。。more

Roel Jacobs ，

Counterfactuals cannot be proven but after all is said and done the author poses an intriguing question: would the various countries of the former Habsburg empire have done better under the Holy Roman Emperor then they have done since 1914？

Douglas ，

One of the more dry books I have read in recent memory。 The first 200 pages felt like essentially just a list of kings with a tiny bit of detail on each but almost no historical context given。 And then all of the sudden with the chapter on Maria Theresa， there is a massive amount of detail and context given to the final several rulers。 But even then it feels disjointed and you wonder why certain details are the object of focus。 And then the final chapter dealing with the demise of the empire is One of the more dry books I have read in recent memory。 The first 200 pages felt like essentially just a list of kings with a tiny bit of detail on each but almost no historical context given。 And then all of the sudden with the chapter on Maria Theresa， there is a massive amount of detail and context given to the final several rulers。 But even then it feels disjointed and you wonder why certain details are the object of focus。 And then the final chapter dealing with the demise of the empire is given about 4 pages to cover WWI。 Ultimately a very disappointing read。 。。。more

A J ，

This book is good in parts and has a general overview of the Habsburg dynasty from its foundation to collapse and beyond。 I found some parts really engaging and enjoyable such as Charles V， Phillip II， Archduchesses and Franz Ferdinand。 Others I found simply boring and had to driver through them to carry out。 The introduction is slow， I didn't get it or the message and found the conclusion not sufficient enough， the family today is glossed over。 A paragraph of Otto von Habsburg is given， but not This book is good in parts and has a general overview of the Habsburg dynasty from its foundation to collapse and beyond。 I found some parts really engaging and enjoyable such as Charles V， Phillip II， Archduchesses and Franz Ferdinand。 Others I found simply boring and had to driver through them to carry out。 The introduction is slow， I didn't get it or the message and found the conclusion not sufficient enough， the family today is glossed over。 A paragraph of Otto von Habsburg is given， but nothing of his son and the head of the family today Karl von Habsburg。 It is a useful read and Rady offers a fair view。 The end is poignant and I feel the regret like so many others of the empire being completely gone and insignificant today。 。。。more

Boudewijn ，

This was a bit of a dissapointment。 It took me quite some effort to get my way through - the thematic structure of this book didn't help as well。 No doubt the book is well-researched and factually correct， but the writing style is rather tiresome。 This was a bit of a dissapointment。 It took me quite some effort to get my way through - the thematic structure of this book didn't help as well。 No doubt the book is well-researched and factually correct， but the writing style is rather tiresome。 。。。more

Stef Cornelissen ，

Sweeping histories of Europe tend to obscure people， presenting political， nationalistic and religious movements as prime actors。 This book presents an Habsburg inside out view that I enjoyed very much。 Of course the historical framework counts， but so do the individual contradictory personalities， the endless family squabbles and completely failed pistes。 Fake family trees and total incompetence is as much part of our history as the occasional statesmen。 Vaste and enjoyable。A word of caution to Sweeping histories of Europe tend to obscure people， presenting political， nationalistic and religious movements as prime actors。 This book presents an Habsburg inside out view that I enjoyed very much。 Of course the historical framework counts， but so do the individual contradictory personalities， the endless family squabbles and completely failed pistes。 Fake family trees and total incompetence is as much part of our history as the occasional statesmen。 Vaste and enjoyable。A word of caution to Dutch readers that want to read the translation。 For once I bought it to support the local bookseller。 It is obviously more Google Translate than anything else。 If someone does not know that a salt cellar is something on the table， rather than a cellar full of salt he never should have been let near a job as a translator。 。。。more

Christine Watts ，

A scholarly， engaging book which reveals how the Habsburgs came to rule over a world empire。 The dynasty ruled an empire stretching from Taiwan to the Philippines to Mexico and， of course， numerous peoples in Central Europe。 Their role as Holy Roman Emperors involved high politics and family intimacy including incest，religion， madness， murder; etc。 Whatever your views on the dynasty they shaped Europe and the world。

Allison ，

Great to read if you live in Vienna！ Maybe not for everyone！

Juliette ，

Although the subject is highly interesting， I struggled quite a bit finishing。 Some chapters are very captivating， others didn’t stick even after reading them twice。 And: way too many side notes （freemasons， vampires， etc） which undoubtedly served a purpose in the authors mind but I found them quite irritating to be honest。 I was hoping for it to get better as we moved on from the medieval Habsburgs to more contemporary ones - it slightly did。 The author does cover much though and I learned quit Although the subject is highly interesting， I struggled quite a bit finishing。 Some chapters are very captivating， others didn’t stick even after reading them twice。 And: way too many side notes （freemasons， vampires， etc） which undoubtedly served a purpose in the authors mind but I found them quite irritating to be honest。 I was hoping for it to get better as we moved on from the medieval Habsburgs to more contemporary ones - it slightly did。 The author does cover much though and I learned quite a lot。 But if you want to read about the Habsburgs， I would recommend choosing another one。 。。。more

Bram van der Heijde ，

Interessant boek dat de geschiedenis van de Habsburgers uitgebreid in de schijnwerpers zet。 Inhoudelijk vond ik het een leuk boek om te lezen， heel wat bijgeleerd。 Ik vond het echter erg jammer om te moeten vaststellen dat deze uitgave vol stond met fouten， zowel （en vooral） taalfouten als hier en daar zelfs een inhoudelijke fout （Gulliver's Travels wordt ten onrechte aan Defoe toegeschreven）。 Aangezien dit de derde druk van het boek is en ik 35 euro betaalde voor een exemplaar， moet ik vaststel Interessant boek dat de geschiedenis van de Habsburgers uitgebreid in de schijnwerpers zet。 Inhoudelijk vond ik het een leuk boek om te lezen， heel wat bijgeleerd。 Ik vond het echter erg jammer om te moeten vaststellen dat deze uitgave vol stond met fouten， zowel （en vooral） taalfouten als hier en daar zelfs een inhoudelijke fout （Gulliver's Travels wordt ten onrechte aan Defoe toegeschreven）。 Aangezien dit de derde druk van het boek is en ik 35 euro betaalde voor een exemplaar， moet ik vaststellen dat de uitgever zijn werk best wat serieuzer mag nemen。 。。。more

Scott Martin ，

（Audiobook） This book is a throwback history， looking at the Habsburg dynasty， which played such a major role in European politics and actions for most of the 2nd millennium AD。 Starting from its origins in modern-day Switzerland and lasting until the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire， the Habsburg rulers were at the heart of just about every major event， from wars to key political arrangements。 Since it is focusing on the family， the primary focus is on the actions of various Habsburg rulers， （Audiobook） This book is a throwback history， looking at the Habsburg dynasty， which played such a major role in European politics and actions for most of the 2nd millennium AD。 Starting from its origins in modern-day Switzerland and lasting until the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire， the Habsburg rulers were at the heart of just about every major event， from wars to key political arrangements。 Since it is focusing on the family， the primary focus is on the actions of various Habsburg rulers， for good or for ill。 The family had both。 There were powerful rulers， but then the desire to keep everything in the family had some disastrous results。 Overall， it is a solid overview of the history of the family and their rule across Europe。 It is a throwback in that it reads like a work not of the 21st century， but of older history， straight up great individuals and major events vs。 the socio-economic histories that dominate the modern scene。 The writing is ok， and it most covers already trodden ground。 There were some insights into the reach of the Habsburgs， especially during the Thirty Years’ War and the ill-fated French conquest of Mexico in the 1860s。 Still， it has more impact for those with no real background in European history。 The reader is solid， but doesn’t add or detract from the material。 。。。more

Chris ，

So， I like to think I know my history for the most part and can atleast prescribe names， some loose dates and events in history。 Atleast American and European。 So prior to this I was reading a bio on Washington which inevitably touched on the war etc。。 I stepped into the Habsburgs knowing it'd be a probably much more intense history。。。boy was I underestimating it。 We touch on the family in and out of time during my World History classes。 The Habsburgs drift in and out of our focus for classes so So， I like to think I know my history for the most part and can atleast prescribe names， some loose dates and events in history。 Atleast American and European。 So prior to this I was reading a bio on Washington which inevitably touched on the war etc。。 I stepped into the Habsburgs knowing it'd be a probably much more intense history。。。boy was I underestimating it。 We touch on the family in and out of time during my World History classes。 The Habsburgs drift in and out of our focus for classes so I know some of the names and the larger ones that impacted history in some great way。 Never have I spent so much time with them on a case by case basis like this。。。They were quite the f*cked lineage。。。 Now first of all the book isn't exactly a nail biter。 While the book on Washington and others at least try to make the entries have some sort of narrative that gives some dialogue， and more personal， this book is just a recounting at a high level of events。 There's no spending time with any of them， their daily actions， writings， etc。 It merely tells events how they happened， and the cropping up of more and more of them， and their political stance in the world。 This is 。。。fine， but it gets dry and quite dull quickly。 What keeps me engaged in a lot of history is when it's given at least the tiniest bit of narrative， so I can visual how these people spoke， what their tone was to others and what their daily life was like。 So this book doesn't allow me to do that and ends up more of a straight history text。 While interesting， and has many fine moments， it never quite rises above anything that would come out of Wikipedia or something。 There's a very very small amount of rye humor that I appreciate but it's so far and few in between it doesn't really lend any buoyancy。 I liked the book， the ending wrapped it all up nicely， and answered a big question I had in what happened to the line of Habsburgs。。 but overall， despite the gorgeous cover and potential that I thought it had， it left me a bit dry。 。。。more

Bjorn Roose ，

Goed dat mijn zin om nog naar winkels te gaan intussen – dankzij de mondmaskeridiotie – helemáál voorbij is， want ik heb op een zeker moment （tijdens een zekere periode） echt té veel nieuwe boeken gekocht， terwijl ik er toch ook nog massa’s “oude” （of echt oude） te lezen heb。 Één van die boeken was het voorliggende De Habsburgers – De opkomst en ondergang van een wereldmacht van Martyn Rady， uitgegeven bij Het Spectrum in 2020: het derde geschiedenisboek dat ik kocht op korte termijn。 De Goed dat mijn zin om nog naar winkels te gaan intussen – dankzij de mondmaskeridiotie – helemáál voorbij is， want ik heb op een zeker moment （tijdens een zekere periode） echt té veel nieuwe boeken gekocht， terwijl ik er toch ook nog massa’s “oude” （of echt oude） te lezen heb。 Één van die boeken was het voorliggende De Habsburgers – De opkomst en ondergang van een wereldmacht van Martyn Rady， uitgegeven bij Het Spectrum in 2020: het derde geschiedenisboek dat ik kocht op korte termijn。 De kruisvaarders – De strijd om het Heilige Land van Dan Jones besprak ik in december， De graven van Vlaanderen （861-1384） van Edward De Maesschalck in september， en net zoals die vorige twee is De Habsburgers – De opkomst en ondergang van een wereldmacht dik en alomvattend。Martyn Rady， professor aan de School of Slavonic and East European Studies， University College London， had er al een hele rij boeken （voornamelijk over Hongarije） op zitten vooraleer The Habsburgs: The Rise and Fall of a World Power， zoals het boek in de originele versie heet， gepubliceerd werd， maar deze kanjer van zo’n 450 bladzijden lijkt mij toch wel z’n interessantste werk voor een breder publiek。 Wellicht is het boek dan ook jaren in de maak geweest， want een geschiedenis lopend van eind 10de eeuw tot het einde van de 20ste eeuw schrijf je niet zo een-twee-drie。“Meer dan negen eeuwen lang hebben de Habsburgers dwazen en visionairs voortgebracht”， schrijft Rady in zijn conclusie， “dilettanten in tovenarij en vrijmetselarij， fanatici in religie， heersers die het welzijn van hun volkeren waren toegewijd， mecenassen van kunst en voorvechters van wetenschap， bouwers van kerken en grote paleizen。 Sommige Habsburgers streefden naar vrede， andere begonnen zinloze oorlogen”。 En over al die zaken gaat dit boek。 Een boek dat vooraan – altijd handig – de stamboom van de Habsburgers bevat en achteraan een lijst van zo’n acht bladzijden met werken om verder te lezen。 Tussen die twee in boeiende hoofdstukken over de Hofburg in Wenen， Frederik III， Maximiliaan I， Karel V， Filips II， ketterjacht en ketterse overwinningen， geslaagde en minder geslaagde koloniale avonturen， Sisi， talloze gewonnen en verloren oorlogen， en zoveel meer。 En ín die hoofdstukken ook aandacht voor details als: de eindeloze lijst van titels die Karel V droeg （“Karel， bij de gratie Gods， gekozen Heilige Roomse keizer， voor altijd vergroter van het Rijk etc。， Koning in Duitsland， van Castilië， Aragón， León， beide Siciliën， Jeruzalem， Hongarije， Dalmatië， Kroatië， Navarra， Granada， Toledo， Valencia， Galicië， de Balearen， Sevilla， Sardinië， Cordoba， Corsica， Murcia， Jaén， de Algarve， Algeciras， Gibraltar en de Canarische Eianden [sic][， en ook de Eilanden van de Indiën， en het vasteland van de Oceaan etc。 （…）”） en de relativiteit van die titels; de oorsprong van de naam Habsburg en het gedurende zo’n acht eeuwen daarvan verdwijnen vooraleer ze terugkwam; het droit de seigneur （dat volgens de auteur fantasie is）; de nederige afkomst van de Habsburgers （eveneens fantasie）; de concurrentie met de Hohenstaufens; de kruistocht tegen de heidense Pruisen （zie ook mijn bespreking van De kruisvaarders – De strijd om het Heilige Land）; geschiedkundigen （geen fantasie， maar ‘t is duidelijk dat Rady niet per se dol is op zijn vakgenoten）; het geleidelijk winnen aan belang van Oostenrijk ten opzichte van het thuisland Zwaben; geknoei met oorkondes; een vrouw die “befaamd was om haar schoonheid en haar vermogen om met de blote vuist spijkers in eikenhouten planken te slaan”; kwakzalvers; Plus Ultra; de oneindig lange tijd die bevelen uit Spanje er over deden om tot in de Nieuwe Wereld te geraken; de uitdaging van Karel V aan de Franse koning om een duel uit te vechten; oorzaak en gevolg van de eerste Slag bij Mohács en de blijvende moeilijkheden die de Habsburgers zouden ondervinden bij het overheersen （later beheersen） van de Hongaren; utraquisten en andere tisten; de rattenvanger van Hamelen; de Spaanse Inquisitie en het feit dat het doel van een openbare executie “niet was om de zielen van de aangeklaagden te redden， maar het openbaar welzijn te bevorderen en de mensen te doordringen van angst en terughoudendheid”; de pain in the ass die de Nederlanden heette; erfelijke ziektes door eeuwenlange inteelt; een landvoogdes die een snor liet groeien; de galeien als drijvende toiletten （“een galei [kon] van een halve kilometer afstand worden herkend aan de stank”）; de eigenaardige repatriëring van landvoogd Don Juan （er werd gevreesd dat z’n lichaam zou worden bemachtigd door Nederlandse opstandelingen of Engelse schepen en daarom werd het “in vieren gehakt， in zadeltassen gepakt en in het geheim over land door Frankrijk naar Madrid gestuurd， waar de delen weer werden samengevoegd om te worden begraven in het Escorial”）; alchemie; Wunderkammer; financiën van kloosters die “leden onder het aantal concubines， buitenechtelijke kinderen en klaplopers die bij de monniken woonden en allemaal gevoed moesten worden”; Lipizaner paarden; het dopen van mensen door ze simpelweg in de rivier te keilen， willen of niet; de lichtelijk bloeddorstige Erzsébet Báthory， de lichtelijk eigenaardige gewoonte om de lichamen van de Habsburgerse heersers na hun dood in drieën te delen （een deel ging naar de Loretokapel， een deel naar de Stephansdom， een deel naar de Kapucijnenkerk， alle in Wenen）， en de lichtelijk lange Dertigjarige Oorlog， de eigenlijke eerste wereldoorlog （begonnen met het conflict tussen de Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden en het Habsburgse Spanje en uitgezaaid over heel Europa， Afrika， de Indische – en de Grote Oceaan en West-Indië）; jodenvervolging en plotseling ondervinden dat ook je eigen geld uit die hoek vandaan komt; Eugenius van Savoye （en zijn opmerkingen over de koning）; de barok （volgens de Italiaanse filosoof en geschiedkundige Benedetto Croce “een vorm van artistieke lelijkheid … een artistieke perversie， gedomineerd door een verlangen naar het verbijsterende”）; catacombenheiligen （“Heiligen Leicher” zoals een gids ze ons beschreef toen we vorig jaar in een Beierse kerk gedecoreerd met dergelijke catacombenheiligen rondwandelden）; automaten en hoe filosofen als Hegel， Herder， Rousseau， Bentham dachten dat ook een maatschappij kon georganiseerd worden als clockwork; het Naturhistorisches Museum in Wenen; de vrijmetselarij; de “Verlichting” en de “Verlichte” dictatuur; de “grootste boekvernietiging in Europa vóór het Derde Rijk” onder Jozef II （samen ongeveer tweeënhalf miljoen boeken zouden er vernietigd zijn）; de afschaffing van de lijfeigenschap door diezelfde Jozef II （en vervolgens het ombrengen van de boeren die dachten dat ze dat programma wat mochten helpen versnellen – allegro ma non troppo， nietwaar？）; de Brabantse Omwenteling; het verschijnen van hispanismen in “de Vlaamse taal” en “de grootste dichtheid aan kapellen， weg- en veldkruisen van heel Europa” in het land waar die “Vlaamse taal” werd gesproken; het verwijderen van de panelen Adam en Eva van Het Lam Gods om het kinderzieltje van Jozef te beschermen tegen al die naaktheid; Hansworst; Die Zauberflöte; false flag – en echte revoluties; guldens en hun waarde in Hongarije （forint）; roddeltante Metternich en het Congres van Wenen （1814-1815）; Beethovens Zevende Symfonie als “een soort boetedoening voor zijn Derde， de Eroica， die hij tien jaar eerder had opgedragen aan Napoleon”; de Habsburge zeemacht （of wat daarvoor moest doorgaan）; de tot diep in Afrika verspreide zilveren Maria Theresia-daalder （“het was ook， gedragen aan een touw， een halssierraad en het geldmiddel waarin lokale heersers belasting inden”）; censuur， “waarvan alleen boeken van meer dan 320 bladzijden werden vrijgesteld， aangezien die toch te vermoeiend voor lezers en censors zouden zijn” （en in dit verband ook het verschil tussen Seiten en Bogenseiten）; muzikale relschoppers （“In sommige plaatsen gebruikten relschoppers geweld en gooiden functionarissen letterlijk het stadhuis uit， in andere gevallen dwongen ze hen tot aftreden door voor hun huizen te loeien en te krassen op violen totdat ze toegaven – dit kabaal stond bekend als Katzenmusik， ‘kattengejank’”）; de regelrechte klootzak Radetzky （en hoe onnadenkend de “hedendaagse concertgangers die klappen en stampen na een uitvoering van de Radetzkymars” wel zijn）; de manier waarop Hongarije Kroatië verspilde; de toch wel zeer sterk op de moord op Borms lijkende moord op de voormalige eerste minister van Hongarije Lajos Batthyány op bevel van Frans Jozef; liberalen die “een sterke staat als het vehikel voor een liberaal hervormingsprogramma” zagen， daartoe al snel de persvrijheid opofferden， daarmee de staat “vetmestten” en hem “tot een Leviathan [maakten] die de individuele vrijheden opvrat waar hun liberalisme oorspronkelijk nu juist voor had gestreden” （toch goed dat onze hedendaagse “liberalen” zelfs nooit voor individuele vrijheden hebben gestreden; de staat waarvan ze zich meester gemaakt hebben kan daarmee nooit tot hun Leviathan worden）; de totale onderschatting van Otto von Bismarck door de Oostenrijkers en daarmee het definitieve verlies van de Duitse staten op conto van Frans Jozef; de Ausgleich met Hongarije en de daarmee gepaard gaande vervanging van “k。k。” ofte kaiserlich-königlich door “k。u。k。” ofte kaiserlich und königlich; het Mexicaanse， en vooral heel erg dodelijke （zonder dat er een griep in de buurt kwam） avontuur van Maximiliaan en zijn belze vrouw Charlotte von Saksen-Coburg-Gotha; het ruiterstandbeeld van Josip Jelačić op het marktplein van Zagreb （waardoor Kroatië Kroatisch werd verklaard， maar dat later， onder Franjo Tuđman een beetje werd gedraaid zodat het zwaard van de ruiter niet meer richting Hongarije maar richting Servië wees）; de zelfmoord van kroonprins Rudolf （een zelfmoord die door sommigen nog steeds wordt betwist， overigens）; het Rudolfmeer in Kenia en het Stefaniemeer in Ethiopië; de opkomst van Karl Lueger als burgemeester van Wenen， het Wenen dat even later ook “Het Wenen van Hitler” zou worden （zie daarvoor het boek van Brigitte Hamann dat ik hier besprak）; de quarantaine voor reizigers die uit Turkije kwamen en （waar kennen we dat van？） het handel verrichten “vanachter schermen en munten werden in azijn gedesinfecteerd”; de opgang （en toen nog toekomstige ondergang） van Servië; de gedoodverfde aanstichter van de Eerste Wereldoorlog， Gavrilo Princip （en zijn toch wel bijzonder incompetente medesamenzweerders）; en ten slotte het einde van het Habsburgse Rijk als “bijwagen van Duitsland”。“Het Habsburgse Rijk is gevallen omdat het zijn lot had verbonden met dat van Duitsland。 Omdat het zich niet uit de oorlog kon terugtrekken， werd Duitslands militaire nederlaag ook die van het rijk。 Maar Duitsland overleefde de oorlog， net als Bulgarije en een enorm gereduceerd Turkije， dat van alle praal van het Ottomaanse Rijk was ontdaan。 Het Habsburgse Rijk echter viel volledig uiteen， het land werd onder zes staten verdeeld en het verval was hier het grootst。 De lijm van de dynastie was niet erg stevig gebleken en in 1918 te zwak om de delen bij elkaar te houden。 Identiteiten en bondgenootschappen hadden zich rond de naties gevormd en zij， niet de dynastie， werden de eenheden waarop mensen meer en meer hun hoop vestigden en waar ze hun loyaliteit aan gaven。 Toen de reputatie van de dynastie wankelde， had het geen enkele zin meer voor de volkeren van het Habsburgse Rijk om samen een soort politieke eenheid of gemeenschappelijke onderneming te vormen。 In de geschiedenis van de meeste Europese staten markeert het jaar 1918 het einde van een hoofdstuk （in het geval van Rusland 1917）。 Voor het Habsburgse Rijk was het het einde van het boek”。Waarmee we ook aan het einde van deze lange – al heb ik dan mijn uiterste best gedaan om ze in steno te schrijven – boekbespreking zijn gekomen。 Een boekbespreking die u er hopelijk， in zoverre u geïnteresseerd bent in geschiedenis， van overtuigd heeft dat dit boek méér dan het kopen （en lezen） waard is。 U hoeft daarvoor niet eens het huis uit， want het is ook online te koop bij Standaard Boekhandel， Libris of – wellicht – de betere lokale boekhandel。 。。。more

Hubert Tomecki ，

7/10

Timothy Wyka ，

Basic over view of the Habsburgs。 Would need to read more about the individual rulers to get a better feel for this dynasty。

Ian Kreinsen ，

I enjoyed this book simply because I like the subject matter。 It took an embarrassingly long time to finish because of its sometimes idiosyncratic structure and tedious style。 However， I did learn a lot from this book。 I liked how it interweaved different cultural aspects of the empire along with the rulers。 I particularly enjoyed the second half of the book where it began to pick up the pace。

Karen Jaeckels ，

I love history especially narratives like Erik Larsson。 While I learned a lot， there was so much detail esp。 regarding minor lords fighting over land， it was a bit overwhelming。 I wish it had more storytelling。

Liam ，

"Yet even at this critical moment， the young Charles showed willingness to compromise。 Luther was not only a monk but also a professor at the University of Wittenberg， which had been founded by the current elector of Saxony， Frederick the Wise。 Frederick was a devout Catholic， whose collection of relics amounted to some twenty thousand holy bones and other items; it was calculated at the time that penitents who viewed the contritely were entitled to 1，902，202 years and 270 days remission from th "Yet even at this critical moment， the young Charles showed willingness to compromise。 Luther was not only a monk but also a professor at the University of Wittenberg， which had been founded by the current elector of Saxony， Frederick the Wise。 Frederick was a devout Catholic， whose collection of relics amounted to some twenty thousand holy bones and other items; it was calculated at the time that penitents who viewed the contritely were entitled to 1，902，202 years and 270 days remission from the pains of Purgatory。 Even so， Frederick loyally supported his professor， and Charles knew not to take Frederick on。" （67）"Marriage had once served the Hapsburgs well。 Now because of consanguinity it brought both misshapenness and mental incapacity。 。。。 In others， it brought about mental illness and epilepsy， stillborn babies， and sickly infants。 Of the thirty-four children born to the Spanish royal line between 1527 and 1661， ten did not survive their first year， and a further seventeen died before the age of ten， yielding an infant mortality rate of 80 per cent， which was four times higher than the average for this time。" （94-5）"In Britain and North America， the Enlightenment tended towards the extension of popular sovereignty， curbs on government， and a 'new science of freedom' aimed at securing individual liberty and the rights of the citizen。 In Central Europe， the Enlightenment tended towards the reverse -- towards regulation， the 'science of the state' or 'science of order，' and the subjection of the individual to the common good， as the sovereign understood it to be。" （201） "Motivated more by national hatreds than by a sober patriotism， Hapsburg forces frequently ran amok， slaughtering civilians and burning villages。 One typical order， issued in September 1914 in response to a report that some villagers had ambushed troops， read: 'Pull out the mayor， priest， assistant priest and a few others， principally Jews， and shoot them immediately。 Then burn the place and try to knock down the church steeple。'" （316） 。。。more

Jeffrey Manners ，

If you enjoy histories which provide an expansive overview covering several centuries， then this is the book for you。 Professor Rady gives the reader an excellent tour of European and world history from the 10th to the 20th century as seen from the perspective of one of the greatest dynasties of all times - the Habsburgs。 What is particularly impressive is that this history is more than a simple narrative naming kings and emperors， listing their military battles and political wins and defeats。 T If you enjoy histories which provide an expansive overview covering several centuries， then this is the book for you。 Professor Rady gives the reader an excellent tour of European and world history from the 10th to the 20th century as seen from the perspective of one of the greatest dynasties of all times - the Habsburgs。 What is particularly impressive is that this history is more than a simple narrative naming kings and emperors， listing their military battles and political wins and defeats。 The book addresses the intellectual， cultural， religious， and social changes and turmoils for each era。 Professor Rady also clears up and removes many lasting and lingering misconceptions about the Habsburgs。 After reading this book one will have to question Rebecca West's sweeping condemnation of the Habsburgs。 "This family， from the unlucky day in 1273 when the College of Electors chose Rudolf von Habsburg to be King of the Romans， on account of his mediocrity， till the abdication of Charles I in 1918， produced no genius， only two rulers of ability in Charles V and Maria Theresa， countless dullards， and not a few imbeciles and lunatics。" If the foregoing was true， then how could have this dynasty prevailed for so long ？ This book will provide the answer。 If I were to have one criticism， it is that the book is weighed more to covering the 19th and 20th centuries。 For example， of the 29 chapters， seven cover the reign of Franz Joseph。 I would have liked to have learned more about the Spanish Habsburgs - who ruled Spain for two centuries。 And also to better understand the background as to why the decision taken to divide the Habsburg holdings in two。 But when one is trying to write a history covering the millennium stretching from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era， then some tough editing choices must be made。 。。。more

NewooweN ，

This was on a best of list for last year。 I thought it might be interesting but it was pretty dry。 Some cool bits but mostly a textbook

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Habsburgs: The Rise and Fall of a World Power

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Habsburgs: The Rise and Fall of a World Power&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Habsburgs: The Rise and Fall of a World Power&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0