070064 UE Guided Reading East European History - Imperial Strategies of the Habsburg Monarchy (2021W)

During the centuries of its history, the Habsburg monarchy has developed a number of strategies in dealing with its peripheries, aimed at, first and foremost, preserving the integrity and stability of the state. This Guided Reading course shall be focused on the politics of the Habsburg Monarchy concerning its Eastern European territories from the early modern period until the end of the Austro-Hungarian empire, as well as the legacy of the Habsburg government in the newly emerging Eastern European states.
After completing the course, the students should be able to define the key elements of the imperial politics of the Habsburg Monarchy in Eastern Europe and recognize its specific strategies towards different territories as well as social, ethnic and religious groups. To fulfill these goals, the students shall be regularly provided with the relevant research literature and/or written sources arranged both thematically and in chronological order. The texts shall then be discussed in large and small groups during the class. The students will be requested to submit 5 short summaries of the texts of their choice in preparation to the class.