History of Austria: A Captivating Guide to Austrian History (European Countries)

The author powerfully and with great erudition presents the rich history of Austria. Vienna, the capital of the empire, was a cultural European center. The book creates a virtual historical tour for the reader.

The beginning is super fact intensive, with names galore — far too many to digest w/o very serious study. The end game, however, is fascinating, especially the parts dealing with the two world wars. I learned a lot.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in European or Austrian history. It is a great overview and will prepare for a more detailed study if you are so inclined. It is worth reading. The book begins with the migration of the Indo-European tribes and tells of the character of the tribes as they settle into nations in Europe. The first kings had to contend with other migrating tribes and later with invasion of the Roman empire. The real history begins with the rule of the Habsburgs (Hapsburgs in some written histories). They at first ruled an area consisting of Austria and territories near by. Gradually they gained control of the Holy Roman Empire. The house of Habsburg developed the doctrine of divine right of kings through a doctrine of A E I O U with each letter standing for a word in a Latin and a German phrase. The Habsburgs amassed an empire which streched from Eastern Europe to the Spanish colonies in America. The decline of the Habsburg dynasty came with the struggle with the French and later with the Prussian empires. This decline ended with a last ditch effort in 1914 when Austria tried to gain more territory by provoking a war with Serbia but instead sparked World War I. This marked the end of the Habsburg rule. Austria became a republic but when Hitler became chancellor of Germany the struggling Austrians wanted to unite with thriving Germany but were prevented by a treaty. Just before World War II Hitler needed resources Austria had an with help of friends in Austria he took it over. Their economy improved. After WW II Austria has been a democratic republic and has participated in World politics. Austria started as the center of European history and today they still maintain a central role.

A good overview of the absolute basics but I would have liked cultural information too. The only real info you get in that category is the modern stuff. You learn nothing about what peoples did or lived like throughout history, mostly just what the Habsburgs were up to and who they warred with.

Being at the literal center of Europe has been the curse as well as the legacy of Austria. A small geographical spot, it has connections to all its neighbors and is also related to the history of various people as they migrated into the vacuum left by the contraction of the Roman Empire. The fertile Danube Valley saw contention among the many tribes that passed through central Europe. After the rise of the Holy Roman Empire, Austria saw a different conflict, an ideological battle arose with the spreading influence of the Catholic Church where a money-grabbing, corrupt institution which grew through nepotism. This ideology stood in conflict with a more humble and conservative Christianity. This ideological conflict expanded to include violence, oppression, and extermination. The Habsburg rulers of Austria warred against the Lutherans and Calvinists and sparked the Thirty Years' War. This war set the stage for an even longer battle between the Habsburgs of Austria and the Bourbons of France. Austria was a multi-ethnic empire and found itself struggling with each ethnicity demanding its own set of rights and self-determination which led the ruling class to indulge in even more conflicts to preserve their rule. This finally erupted into World War I with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand as an excuse to start the war. The intent to restore and preserve the dynasty's place as a great European power. Instead, they lost and were thrown into economic chaos. That loss set the groundwork for the return to World War II and with the defeat of Germany, Austria has re-established its identify and has become a multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan society.

My goodness me: what a troubled country over many years. The incredible depth of research is obvious throughout - and I was particularly amazed by the convoluted political aspects that impacted Austria after both 'world wars'. Although, must confess to skip- and skim-reading tracts of text in early chapters past some odd phraseology and punctuation though the cycling recitation of succeeding rulers. Another in-depth look at a (formerly) troubled country from Captivating History.

I have watched a documentary about the Habsburg monarchy before, but nothing compares to reading about the family in more detail. I must admit, I did take lots of notes just to follow the genealogy described in the book. I never realized that so many of the present cities & independent states in Europe were once part of Austria, i.e. Poland, Hungary, Alsace, Lorraine, etc. This book also covers the role that Austria played in the first two world wars and the cold war. It makes me want to visit this diverse and beautiful country. This book complements “The History of Germany”, “The History of Germania”, & “The Franco-Prussian War” which are also available in this series.

I read this book knowing next to nothing about Austria. I learned a lot! This book is packed with information about Austria. It was not overly complicated so it was easy to follow. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that it was not the most exciting thing I ever read. If you want to learn about Austria, I highly recommend reading this!