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.

Preface Part I. Maria Theresa and the Making of Habsburg Enlightened Absolutism 1. 1765: The Beginning of a New Era 2. The Theoretical Foundations of Enlightened Political and Economic Reform in Austria 3. The Leadership of Austrian Enlightened Absolutism 4. Stirrings in the Social Structure Part II. Joseph II and Radical Reform. The Drama of the 1780s 5. A Decade of Revolutions 6. Joseph II and the Strategy for Radical Modernization 7. Reshaping Institutions: The Case of Hungary 8. Society Mobilized 9. Crisis: The Convergence of International and Domestic Difficulties 10. Joseph II and Josephism: A Historical Balance Sheet Abbreviations Geographical Names Notes Bibliography Index