A Concise History of Austria (Cambridge Concise Histories)

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.

Steven Beller traces the remarkable career of Austria from German borderland to successful Alpine republic.

Steven Beller is an independent scholar. He has already published a number of books on Austrian history, including Vienna and the Jews, 1867-1938: A Cultural History (1989), Theodor Herzl (1991) and Francis Joseph (1996).

Introduction; 1. The Eastern March, 1439; 2. A.E.I.O.U., 1439-1740; 3. Countering reform, 1740-1866; 4. Empire on notice, 1866-1918; 5. The land without qualities, 1918-1945; 6. Austria Inc., from 1945; Conclusion; Guide to further reading.