AEIOU: A Podcast about Austria

Episode 20: War and Its Discontents (Redux)

The war is over, but we still have some things to talk about, including how the Austrians occupied Serbia (badly), how the Austrian army lent itself to generating Habsburg loyalty (pretty well), and how the last Habsburg emperor abdicated (incompletely). It's the final episode of the year, so what better way to celebrate than with the abolition of the Habsburg monarchy.

Episode 19: The War Episode

We’ve finally made it to the Great War. In this episode, we consider how Austria fared in World War I. Spoiler alert: They lost. That said, the campaigns led by Austria-Hungary are among the least discussed in a war that included the Battle of the Somme and Gallipoli. Here, Vittorio Veneto gets its (his?) due.

Episode 18: Countdown to War

Shots fired in the Balkans! Shots fired in the Reichsrat!! Shots fired in Sarajevo!!! It's an action-packed episode this time around as we cover the final years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire before the outbreak of World War One. Plus, we consider the question of why Franz Ferdinand was the crown prince to begin with.

Episode 17: The Emperor Strikes Back

In this episode, we work our way into the 20th century, with new election laws, new political parties, new leaders of the government, but the same old emperor. He's lost some steam over his more than fifty years in power, to say nothing of territory and political power, but he still has some tricks up his sleeve. Can you say "Jus exclusivae"? Franz Joseph sure can.

Episode 16: Austria Becomes a Democracy, Sort of

We saw how Austria was a neoabsolutist hellscape before the Compromise of 1867. But with Franz Joseph losing wars and territory, he quickly transformed his remaining dominions into a democracy, although not necessarily a functioning one. In this episode, we take a quick overview of Austrian politics between 1867 and 1890, when new parties arose to challenge the liberal consensus.

Episode 15: The Best and Cheapest Lawyer

ALL NEW EPISODE
The title of this episode comes from an old saying about compromise, chosen because the topic this week is the Compromise of 1867, which created Austria-Hungary. It's also said a good compromise is one by which no one is happy. Unfortunately for Austria, it ends up a little unhappier than Hungary.

Episode 14: Counter-Revolution, Another War in Italy, and the (Not So Nifty) 1850s

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This episode covers the end of the revolutions of 1848, finishing late in 1849, with both a new emperor (Franz Joseph) and a new war in Italy. The emperor will serve for much longer, and the war in Italy will be much shorter. In the meantime, forget about those revolutionary reforms for now.

Episode 13: A Podcast about Italy

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In this episode, we're faced with the same problem as before but in different form -- how can this be a podcast about Austria but have an episode set largely in a totally different country? Well, when you're a Great Power in the center of Europe, things can get complicated.

Episode 12: Habsburg Genetics Strike Again

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This episode details the reign of Emperor Ferdinand, who gives old Charles II of Spain a run for his money on the award for most inbred Habsburg monarch. That the final year of his reign is also the most revolutionary year in all of Europe's history is merely a coincidence.

Episode 11: A New European Order?

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In this episode, we'll wrap up the Napoleonic Wars and learn how Austrian Chancellor and Foreign Minister Klemens von Metternich helped establish the Concert of Europe and ushered in an era of peace. Kind of. There was some peace. There was also a stabbing or two.