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'This is probably the best book ever written on the Habsburgs in
any language, certainly the best I have ever read ... Students,
scholars and the general reader will never find a better guide to
Habsburg history' Alan Sked, Times Literary Supplement In The
Habsburgs, Martyn Rady tells the epic story of a dynasty and the
world it 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 from the Far East
to the New World. The family continued to dominate Central Europe
until the catastrophe of the First World War. With its seemingly
disorganized mass of large and small territories, its tangle of
laws and privileges and its medley of languages, the Habsburg
Empire has always appeared haphazard and incomplete. But here
Martyn Rady shows the reasons for the family's incredible
endurance, 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 Habsburg emperors were
themselves absurdly varied in their characters - from warlords to
contemplatives, from clever to stupid, from idle to frenzied - but
all driven by the same sense of family mission. Scattered around
the world, countless buildings, institutions and works of art
continue to bear witness to their overwhelming impact. The
Habsburgs is the definitive history of a remarkable dynasty that,
for better or worse, shaped Europe and the world.
Charles V was elected Holy Roman Emperor and, until his death in
1558, he was to play a central role on the European political
stage. The book is a clear introduction to the often confusing
train of events in the first half of the sixteenth century. It
looks at Charles's response to the Protestant Reformation in
Germany; his efforts to retain the Netherlands under Habsburg
control; his struggle with France for domination over Italy; and
his attempts to check the expansion of Ottoman power in the
Mediterranean.
Charles V was elected Holy Roman Emperor and, until his death in
1558, he was to play a central role on the European political
stage. The book is a clear introduction to the often confusing
train of events in the first half of the sixteenth century. It
looks at Charles's response to the Protestant Reformation in
Germany; his efforts to retain the Netherlands under Habsburg
control; his struggle with France for domination over Italy; and
his attempts to check the expansion of Ottoman power in the
Mediterranean.
The dramatic history of Europe's shape-shifting centre, from the
author of The Habsburgs Central Europe is not just a space on a map
but also a region of shared experience - of mutual borrowings,
impositions and misapprehensions. From the Roman Empire onwards, it
has been the target of invasion from the east. In the Middle Ages,
Central Europeans cast their eastern foes as 'the dogmen'. They
would later become the Turks, Swedes, Russians and Soviets, all of
whom pulled the region apart and remade it according to their own
vision. Competition among Europe's Middle Kingdoms yielded repeated
cultural effervescences. This was the first home of the High
Renaissance outside Italy, the cradle of the Reformation, the
starting point of the Enlightenment, Romanticism, the symphony and
modern nationalism. It was a permanent battleground too for
religious and political ideas. Most recent histories of Central
Europe confine themselves to the lands in between Germany and
Russia, homing in on Poland, Hungary, and what is now the Czech
Republic. This new history embraces the whole of Central Europe,
including the German lands as well as Ukraine and Switzerland. The
story of Europe's Middle Kingdoms is a reminder of Central Europe's
precariousness, of its creativity and turbulence, and of the common
cultural trends that make these lands so distinctive.
The Habsburgs are the most famous dynasty in continental Europe.
From the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries, they ruled much of
Central Europe, and for two centuries were also rulers of Spain.
Through the Spanish connection, they acquired lands around the
Mediterranean and a chunk of the New World, spreading eastwards to
include the Philippines. Reaching from South-East Asia to what is
now Ukraine, the Habsburg Empire was truly global. In this Very
Short Introduction Martin Rady looks at the history of the
Habsburgs, from their tenth-century origins in Switzerland, to the
dissolution of the Habsburg Empire in 1918. He introduces the
pantheon of Habsburg rulers, which included adventurers, lunatics,
and at least one monarch who was so malformed that his true
portrait could never be exhibited. He also discusses the lands and
kingdoms that made up the Habsburg Empire, and the decisive moments
that shaped their history. Dynasty, Europe, global power, and the
idea of the multi-national state all converge on the history of the
Habsburg Empire. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions
series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in
almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect
way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors
combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to
make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
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