The Habsburgs

The Habsburgs have been described at one extreme as demons – responsible for a ‘long history of atrocities’; and, at the other, as dodos – living fossils unable to adapt to the modern world. In reality, the flamboyant royal family appear, in many ways, to have behaved much like most other monarchies. Their story, however, is none the less enthralling for that. It is populated by such unforgettable figures as mad Queen Juana, progressing through Spain with her husband’s decaying body; the ‘heroically fertile’ Maria Theresa, and the quixotic Maximilian, ‘Emperor’ of Mexico.List of Illustrations
Maps
Introduction to the Penguin Edition
Acknowledgments
Preface
1. The Castle of the Hawk: 1020-1300
2. Cosa Nostra (Our Cause): 1300-1400
3. Universal Empire (1400-1500)
4. El Dorado (The Golden One): 1550-1550
5. A War to the Last Extremity : 1550-1660
6. Felix Austria—the Happy State: 1660-1790
7. The Last Cavalier: 1790-1916
8. Finis Austraie: The End?: 1916-1995
Family Trees: The House of Habsburg, 1000-1922
Notes
Sources and Bibliography
IndexAndrew Wheatcroft has written and lectured widely on European and Middle Eastern history. His books include The Ottomans and The Hapsburgs.