The Decline and Fall of the Habsburg Empire, 1815-1918 (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Alan Sked (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0582356660 | ISBN-13: 978-0582356665 | Publication Date: July 9, 2001 | Edition: 2

B> This is a new and revised edition of Alan Sked's groundbreaking book that examines how the Habsburg Empire survived the revolutionary turmoil of 1848. 'The Year of Revolutions', saw the whole of Europe convulsed in turmoil and revolt and yet the Habsburg Empire survived. . How did the Habsburg Empire survive? How was the army able hold together while the rest of the empire collapsed in civil war, and how was it able to seize the political initiative? In this new edition, Alan Sked reflects on the changed understanding of the period which resulted from the first appearance of this book, and widens the discussion to look at the Habsburg Empire alongside the decline of the Russian and German Empires, arguing that it is possible to understand their decline from a broad European perspective, as opposed to the overly narrow focus of recent explanations For those interested in Habsburg or European history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is a book to be savoured and relished...rich in anecdote, irony, paradox, and intelligence, it is a must for anyone...looking for an example of historical writing in its most lively, informative and attractive form.' History

From the Back Cover

'This is a book to be savoured and relished; excellently organised and rich in anecdote, irony, paradox and intelligence, it is a must for anyone interested in the Habsburg empire or anyone looking for an example of historical writing in its most lively, informative and attractive form.'
HISTORY Dealing with one of the key episodes in nineteenth-century history, Alan Sked completely revises the traditional view of that crucial outcome of the period's upheavals: the survival of the Habsburg Empire. Acclaimed by one Oxford professor as "worthy of A.J.P.Taylor at his best", the first edition of this book became a bestseller which was translated into German, Italian, Czech and Japanese. The key to the book's success has been the author's determination to analyse the course of Habsburg history and to take issue not merely with its leading historians, but with the very concept of "decline and fall" itself.In this second edition, the author reflects on the arguments originally raised and bolsters his original interpretation.  The result is vintage Sked: clear and controversial, a vigorously written classic which is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of nineteenth-century Europe. ALAN SKED is Senior Lecturer in International History at the London School of Economics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Longman; 2 edition (July 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582356660
• ISBN-13: 978-0582356665
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,293,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > History > Europe > Central Europe

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Misleading Title, September 5, 2003

By 

Andrew O'Connor (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Decline and Fall of the Hapsburg Empire 1815-1918 (Paperback)

If the book has a theme, it is that the Dynasty and the Empire were not in irreversible decline and the fall, brought about by defeat in WWI, was not inevitable. Why the title then? Well, towards the end of the book, in a couple of chapters added to the second edition, Sked admits that the title was chosen by his publishers and not by him.

My main reason for contributing this review is that I don't think it is clear from other reviews here that Sked's book is not a narrative or comprehensive history of the Habsburg Empire from the Congress of Vienna until its fall. It is rather a series of essays which reflect on other historians' treatment of some of the major themes in Habsburg historiography. These are interesting, challenging, occasionally repetitive, but are not, and do not pretend to be, a substitute for a general history of the period (such as C.A. Macartney's great work).

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable text for students of the Habsburg Monarchy, March 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Decline and Fall of the Hapsburg Empire 1815-1918 (Paperback)

This text is truly invaluable for students of the Habsburg Monarchy. It's major strength has to be that it is analytical in style, providing explanations for the decline in fortunes of the Habsburg Monarchy. It is also innovative in that it provides a new perspective on the last century of Habsburg rule. Sked's book is an extremely readable text, which is accessible for all. An added bonus is that it provides a background to the historiography surrounding the Austrian Empire. Even if you do not agree with Sked's conclusions, it will certainly give you something new to think about, and is a useful antidote to the more traditional interpretaions of the Habsburg decline. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From Pedantic to Pedestrian, October 21, 2002

By 

Grey Wolffe "Zeb Kantrowitz" (North Waltham, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Decline and Fall of the Habsburg Empire, 1815-1918 (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

First let me say that academically the book is both readable and factual in its content. But I found the book troubling for two reasons. First, Professor Sked writes like an English Lecture. He poses questions which he answers with his own opinions, many times taking other authors opinions to task. Those that he doesn't agree with he speaks of as liberal or extreme or having "missed the point". Secondly as this is a Second Edition,
it should have been brought up to date with information that has been developed over the last twelve years.

As an example of his inability to rewrite his own words (which he takes as sacrosanct) there is an aside that refers to the USSR and the eastern european satellites. He makes a referral to what would happen in eastern europe if the USSR were to go multi-party, hinting at chaos on the terms of Yugoslavia. Where has he been for the last ten years? No chaos, some nations in NATO and others being accepted into the EU.

Lastly, he shows a pronounced weakness in his understanding of military matters. In his discussion of the failure of the 1848 Hungarian Revolution, he dismisses the treatment of other nationalities in the Hungarian Crown Lands as being self-defeating but not disasterous. He especially discounts the Croats. Napoleon, not a bad general, described the Croat Cavalry
as the best in Europe, both for their bravery and ability to endure hardship. He used them as his scouts for his intelligence services and gave them credit for helping to secure many of his victories. They would not have won the was for the Hungarians, but they could have been a thorn in the side of both the Austrians and Russians. Instead the helped to defeat the Hungarians at every major battle.

Reading this book is informational, but you must be prepared to spend a lot of time searching around Professor Sked's opinions and biases to get to the facts.