The Habsburg Monarchy, with the diversity of its peoples, languages and historical regions, was a fascinating "Europe in miniature". Federalism became a hotly contested central theme in the 19th century. The federal laboratory ranged from Metternich's "federal state" to the personal autonomy of the Austromarxists and drafts of a constitution under Franz Ferdinand and Emperor Karl's nationality state from 1918. In addition to federal reform drafts, the book describes the Habsburg Empire as a living federation. This included a common foreign and security policy, the dualistic competition between Austria and Hungary and the increasing independence and cooperation of the Austrian crown lands, especially in modern policy areas such as education, health, welfare and infrastructure. This federal history in the European 19th century leads far beyond the history of the Habsburg Empire to the present day in Europe.
