The Empire of Austria; Its Rise and Present Power — A Reader’s Guide

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Authors: Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot), 1805-1877 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2005 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Austria -- History Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 170,607

Reading time 742 min

Text sections 21

This digital edition of The Empire of Austria; Its Rise and Present Power — A Reader’s Guide is described by source-level measurements including 170,607 words, 12 hr 22 min estimated reading time, and 21 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 17.6 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Austria -- History,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #16070

Abbott's 1859 history of Austria from Rhodolph of Hapsburg to the mid-19th century, emphasizing dramatic episodes like the Thirty Years' War and the expulsion of Protestants from Bohemia, with a moralizing tone contrasting European absolutism with American liberty.

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CHAPTER I. RHODOLPH OF HAPSBURG. From 1232 to 1291.

Hawk's Castle.--Albert, Count of Hapsburg.--Rhodolph of Hapsburg.--His Marriage and Estates.--Excommunication and its Results.--His Principles of Honor.--A Confederacy of Barons.--Their Route.--Rhodolph's Election as Emperor of Germany.--The Bishop's Warning.--Dissatisfaction at the Result of the Election.--Advantages accruing from the Possession of an interesting Family.--Conquest.--Ottocar acknowledges the Emperor; yet breaks his Oath of Allegiance.--Gathering Clouds.--Wonderful Escape.--Victory of Rhodolph.--His Reforms. Page 17

CHAPTER II. REIGNS OF ALBERT I., FREDERIC, ALBERT AND OTHO. From 1291 to 1347.

Anecdotes of Rhodolph.--His Desire for the Election of his Son.--His Death.--Albert.--His Unpopularity.--Conspiracy of the Nobles.--Their Defeat.--Adolphus of Nassau chosen Emperor.--Albert's Conspiracy.-- Deposition of Adolphus and Election of Albert.--Death of Adolphus.--The Pope Defied.--Annexation of Bohemia.--Assassination of Albert.--Avenging Fury.--The Hermit's Direction.--Frederic the Handsome.--Election of Henry, Count of Luxemburg.--His Death.--Election of Louis of Bavaria.--Capture of Frederic.--Remarkable Confidence toward a Prisoner.--Death of Frederic.--An early Engagement.--Death of Louis.--Accession of Albert. Page 34

CHAPTER III. RHODOLPH II., ALBERT IV. AND ALBERT V. From 1389 to 1437.

Rhodolph II.--Marriage of John to Margaret.--Intriguing for the Tyrol.--Death of Rhodolph.--Accession of Power to Austria.--Dividing the Empire.--Delight of the Emperor Charles.--Leopold.--His Ambition and successes.--Hedwige, Queen of Poland.--"The Course of true Love never did run smooth."--Unhappy Marriage of Hedwige.--Heroism of Arnold of Winkelreid.--Death of Leopold.--Death of Albert IV.--Accession Of Albert V.--Attempts of Sigismond to bequeath to Albert V. Hungary and Bohemia. Page 48

CHAPTER IV. ALBERT, LADISLAUS AND FREDERIC. From 1440 to 1489.

Increasing Honors of Albert V.--Encroachments of the Turks.--The Christians Routed.--Terror of the Hungarians.--Death of Albert.-- Magnanimous Conduct of Albert of Bavaria.--Internal Troubles.--Precocity of Ladislaus.--Fortifications Raised by the Turks.--John Capistrun.-- Rescue of Belgrade.--The Turks Dispersed.--Exultation over the Victory.--Death of Hunniades.--Jealousy of Ladislaus.--His Death.--Brotherly Quarrels.--Devastations by the Turks.--Invasion of Austria.--Repeal of the Compromise.--The Emperor a Fugitive. Page 68

CHAPTER V. THE EMPERORS FREDERIC II. AND MAXIMILIAN I. From 1477 to 1500.

Wanderings of the Emperor Frederic.--Proposed Alliance with the Duke of Burgundy.--Mutual Distrust.--Marriage of Mary.--The Age of Chivalry.--The Motive inducing the Lord of Praunstein to Declare War.--Death of Frederic II.--The Emperor's Secret.--Designs of the Turks.--Death of Mahomet II.--First Establishment of Standing Armies.--Use of Gunpowder.--Energy of Maximilian.--French Aggressions.--The League to Expel the French.--Disappointments of Maximilian.--Bribing the Pope.--Invasion of Italy.--Capture and Recapture.--The Chevalier de Bayard. Page 77

CHAPTER VI. MAXIMILIAN I. From 1500 to 1519.

Base Treachery of the Swiss Soldiers.--Perfidy of Ferdinand of Arragon.--Appeals by Superstition.--Coalition with Spain.--The League of Cambray.--Infamy of the Pope.--The King's Apology.--Failure of the Plot.--Germany Aroused.--Confidence of Maximilian.--Longings for the Pontifical Chair.--Maximilian Bribed.--Leo X.--Dawning Prosperity.-- Matrimonial Projects.--Commencement of the War of Reformation.--Sickness of Maximilian.--His Last Directions.--His Death.--The Standard by which his Character is to be Judged. Page 91

CHAPTER VII. CHARLES V. AND THE REFORMATION. From 1519 to 1581.

Charles V. of Spain.--His Election as Emperor of Germany.--His Coronation.--The First Constitution.--Progress of the Reformation.--The Pope's Bull against Luther.--His Contempt for his Holiness.--The Diet at Worms.--Frederic's Objection to the Condemnation of Luther by the Diet.--He obtains for Luther the Right of Defense.--Luther's triumphal March to the Tribunal.--Charles urged to Violate his Safe Conduct.-- Luther's Patmos.--Marriage of Sister Catharine Bora to Luther.--Terrible Insurrection.--The Holy League.--The Protest of Spires.--Confession of Augsburg.--The Two Confessions.--Compulsory Measures. Page 106

CHAPTER VIII. CHARLES V. AND THE REFORMATION. From 1531 to 1552.

Determination to crush Protestantism.--Incursion of the Turks.--Valor of the Protestants.--Preparations for renewed Hostilities.--Augmentation of the Protestant Forces.--The Council of Trent.--Mutual Consternation.-- Defeat of the Protestant Army.--Unlooked-for Succor.--Revolt in the Emperor's Army.--The Fluctuations of Fortune.--Ignoble Revenge.--Capture of Wittemberg.--Protestantism apparently crushed.--Plot against Charles.--Maurice of Saxony.--A Change of Scene.--The Biter Bit--The Emperor humbled.--His Flight.--His determined Will. Page 121

CHAPTER IX. CHARLES V. AND THE TURKISH WARS. From 1552 to 1555.

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John S. C. Abbott opens his 1859 history of Austria with a preface that frames the work as a 'biography of the Monarchies of Continental Europe,' promising a narrative of 'birth, education, exploits, progress and present condition.' He immediately signals a dramatic, moralizing approach, listing events such as 'the fierce strife with the Turks' and 'the thirty years' religious war' as components of a 'sublime tragedy.' The preface also reveals Abbott's intended audience: American readers, for whom the story of Austria's woes should 'excite emotions of gratitude.' This editorial stance—using European history as a cautionary contrast to American exceptionalism—shapes the entire work.

A Moralizing Preface as a Reading Lens

Abbott's preface is not merely an introduction but a key to his method. He describes his ten years of research on Napoleon and the French Revolution as preparation, and he explicitly aims to draw lessons: 'It is to be hoped that the human family may never again suffer what it has already endured.' This moral purpose means readers should expect frequent authorial commentary, not just chronicle. The preface also announces a series—Austria is the first, with Russia promised next—suggesting a comparative framework. When reading, note how Abbott judges events by their impact on 'civilization' and 'humanity,' terms he uses repeatedly. His tone is that of a Victorian moralist, not a detached scholar.

The Thirty Years' War as a Turning Point

The excerpt from the later chapters focuses on Ferdinand II's campaign to suppress Protestantism in Bohemia after the Battle of the White Mountain. Abbott quotes a Bohemian historian at length, describing how 'the records of history scarcely furnish a similar example of such a change.' The passage details the abolition of Bohemian language in courts, the banishment of 30,000 families, and the decline of arts and sciences. Abbott's use of a contemporary Catholic historian adds weight, but his own framing is clear: this is a tragedy of lost liberty and culture. Readers should watch how Abbott handles religious conflict—he presents the Reformation as a struggle for freedom, with the Jesuits as agents of obscurantism. The excerpt's vivid detail (e.g., Jesuits confiscating books 'under pain of eternal damnation') shows Abbott's skill at selecting dramatic evidence.

Abbott's Use of Embedded Voices

A notable feature of the excerpt is Abbott's reliance on a long quotation from a Bohemian historian. This embedded voice provides a first-hand lament: 'Till this fatal period the Bohemians were daring, undaunted, enterprising; now they have lost all their courage.' Abbott does not merely summarize; he lets the historian describe the cultural collapse—the Moldau forgotten beside the Elbe, the native tongue reduced to 'the language of peasants.' This technique gives the narrative texture and authority. Readers should note how Abbott integrates such sources: he often introduces them with phrases like 'one of the Bohemian historians, himself a Roman Catholic,' adding credibility. The effect is to create a polyphonic history, though Abbott's own moral judgments remain dominant. Pay attention to how he transitions between his voice and quoted material.

Structure and Pacing Across the Work

With 21 text sections and over 170,000 words, the book is substantial. The preface suggests a chronological structure beginning with 'Rhodolph of Hapsburg' (Chapter I) and moving through major conflicts. The excerpt from later chapters indicates that Abbott devotes considerable space to the Thirty Years' War and its aftermath. The pacing is likely episodic, with each chapter focusing on a ruler or crisis. Abbott's style is narrative and vivid, aiming to 'parallel' fiction in its drama. Readers should expect set-piece battles, character sketches of monarchs, and moral reflections. Given the 1859 publication date, the 'present power' mentioned in the title likely refers to the Austrian Empire under Franz Joseph, but the excerpts do not confirm how far the narrative extends. The work is best approached as a sweeping, opinionated survey rather than a dry textbook.

Abbott's history rewards readers who enjoy strong authorial voice and dramatic set pieces. The preface and the Bohemian excerpt reveal a writer who sees history as a moral arena, where the rise of absolutism is a cautionary tale. To get the most from this book, track Abbott's recurring themes—liberty versus tyranny, the cost of religious intolerance, and the contrast between Europe and America. The embedded quotations from contemporary sources add depth, but Abbott's own commentary is the engine. Approach it as a 19th-century interpretation, not a modern academic history, and you will find a compelling, if partisan, narrative.

That gray afternoon, Abbott’s Bohemian refugees filed past my window like rain. Their dispossession lingered, so I reached for something plainer, a regimental muster of names and battles. The Empire mourned lost faiths; this ledger counted only scars. Somehow the quiet arithmetic of service answered the other book’s clamor. Historical Record of the Twelfth, or the Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment of Lancers Containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1715, and of Its Subsequent — A Reader’s Guide felt like a ledger kept by ghosts.