Multiethnic Empire: Habsburg Austria -1740-1918 ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

This study will examine the history of the Hapsburg Monarchy from 1740 until its demise in 1918, including the following: the state-building, reform-minded reigns of Maria Theresa and Joseph II, the rivalry with Prussia over domination of Germany, the challenge of the French Revolution and the retreat under Franz I from the Enlightenment-based policies of Joseph II and Leopold II, the reactionary period dominated by Metternich from 1809 through 1848, the revolutions of 1848, the neo-absolutism of the 1850s, the period of constitutional experimentation leading to the 1867 Ausgleich, and the period leading up to and including the First World War, concluding with a discussion of why Austria-Hungary dissolved in 1918. Furthermore, students will focus on the so-called nationalities question throughout the period as well as on the attempts to develop an Austrian state patriotism or civic Austrian identity by various thinkers. Prerequisites: An introductory level course in European history is strongly recommended.