Joseph II (Profiles in Power)

By Timothy C.W. Blanning

Book Overview

Joseph II (1741--90) -- son and eventual successor of Maria Theresa -- has conventionally been seen in the context of the "Enlightened Despot'' reformers. Today's turmoil in his former territories invites a rather different perspective, however, as Joseph grapples with the familiar and intractable problems of creating a viable unitary state out of his multi-national empire in Central Europe. Professor Blanning's brilliant short study, based on extensive archival research, offers a history of the Habsburg monarchy in the eighteenth century, as well as a revaluation of the emperor's complex personality and his ill-fated reform programme.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0582052726
• ISBN13: 9780582052727
• Release Date: June 1994
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"