Hungary and the Habsburgs, 1765-1800
An Experiment in Enlightened Absolutism
Éva H Balázs author Tim Wilkinson translator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Central European University Press
Publishing:17th Jan '25
£73.00
This title is due to be published on 17th January, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
One of the most distinguished historians of Central Europe examines a crucial period in the coexistence of the Austrian hereditary provinces and Hungary. In a Europe torn by wars and revolutions during the last third of the eighteenth century, political, economic, and personal factors intertwined to determine the fortunes of the Austrian rulers and the subjects of the Hungarian crown who collaborated with them. Contemporary as well as modern scholars have taken extreme positions on this period. Contributing to the often heated debates, Professor Balázs shows that it was a vigorous and constructive era in the monarchy. Rejecting the commonplaces of the center-periphery approach, she demonstrates that the Habsburg monarchy was a center whose reforms during this period inspired all subsequent reform movements in Central and Eastern Europe.
"All those who have realised the importance of Hungary but lacked the wherewithal to teach it will welcome this superb distillation of a lifetime's study in a lucid English translation. It combines the fruits of research in Europe's archives with an extensive secondary literature, and the comprehensive references reveal that the book has been updated since its appearance in Hungarian... This is far more than a book on Hungary's relations with the Habsburgs: it is nothing less than the integration of Hungary into the history of the Habsburg Monarchy (and indeed Europe) in the last third of the eighteenth century." * British Journal of Eighteenth Century Studies *
"... the strength of this valuable study clearly is the social-historical analysis of Josephism in a wide political context." * Central European History *
“The product of four decades of research, this book contributes a great deal of new information, much of it carefully distilled to fill gaps left by previous historical works.” * Choice *
“The importance of the present work lies in its information on Hungarian politics and society during the period of enlightened absolutism. In the course of her account, Balázs exposes several of the myths which have worked their way into the English-language accounts of late eighteenth-century Hungary. She convincingly demonstrates, therefore, that the upper reaches of the Hungarian aristocracy were by no means ‘Austrianized’ elite, but that they always retained close connections with their homeland.” * Slavic and East European Review *
"... not simply an English translation of the original. Although no conteptual changes have been introduced, the text has been improved and extended, notes, a detailed bibliography, a separate index, etc. have also been added. Tim Wilkinson superbly did the translation, and the Central European University Press now publishes this new, nice version." * Südost-Forschungen *
ISBN: 9789639116030
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 680g
304 pages
New edition