Liberalism and the Habsburg Monarchy, 1861-1895

by Kwan, Jonathan

• ISBN13: 9781137366917
• ISBN10: 1137366915
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-11-19
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Often the liberal movement has been viewed through the lens of its later German nationalism. This presents only one facet of a wide-ranging, all-encompassing project to regenerate the Habsburg Monarchy. By analysing its various nuances, this volume provides a new, more positive interpretation of Austro-German liberalism.
In the 1860s the liberals fought for their core concepts of liberal principles, Austrian state patriotism and German nationalism. Their convictions and actions put in place the framework for modern politics in the Habsburg Monarchy – the constitution, parliaments, and a free press. Only gradually over time did German nationalism begin to dominate within the movement. By tracing the interaction of the core concepts and placing the movement within its historical context, Jonathan Kwan presents a balanced assessment of an oft-neglected, much criticized but highly significant political movement.

Author Biography

Jonathan Kwan is Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Nottingham, UK. He has studied at the Universities of Queensland, London and Oxford. Publications include articles on the 1867 Compromise, the Transylvanian Saxon community and other topics associated with the Habsburg Monarchy and Central Europe in the nineteenth century.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Liberalism, Nationalism and the Austrian State
PART I: THE ERA OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL PARTY, 1861-79
2. Articulating the Austro-German Liberal Vision, 1861-65
3. Fighting for the Constitution: Dualism and the Austro-German Liberals, 1865-67
4. Realising the Liberal Project: Liberal Hubris and Insecurity, 1867-79
PART II: THE PARADIGM CHANGE: THE LIBERALS IN OPPOSITION, 1879-85
5. Defending Parliamentary Privilege: Foreign Policy, Liberal Opposition and the Responsibility of State Power
6. A Possible Czech-German Liberal Alliance: The Emmersdorf Discussions, 1878-79
7. 'The End of the Constitutional Party'? New Directions and the New Politics, 1879-85
PART III: DEFENDING DEUTSCHTUM: LIBERALISM AND THE RISE OF NATIONALIST POLITICS
8. Anti-Semitism and Austro-German Liberalism, 1861-95
9. Bohemia, Austria and Radical Politics: A Case Study, 1879-93
10. Ernst von Plener and the Final Liberal Coalition Government, 1893-95
11. Conclusion: Austro-German Liberalism at the Turn-of-the-Century