Habsburg Colonial Redux: Reconsidering Colonialism and Postcolonialism in Habsburg/Austrian History

Abstract:Colonial and postcolonial approaches to both Austrian and Habsburg history represent an opportunity to reconfigure not only Habsburg but also modern Austrian history and its relation to the wider world. In many ways, postcolonial perspectives force us to reconcile with internal dynamics within Central Europe, while expanding upon our understandings of colonial entanglements in the Habsburg lands leads us to consider the global elements in a region too often neglected in imperial and world historiography. By bringing together recent developments in both fields, this article argues for greater inclusion and adaptation of these perspectives in Austrian/Habsburg history.