Joseph II: Volume 1, In the Shadow of Maria Theresa, 1741-1780

The emperor Joseph II (1741–90) tried to carry through something like a 'revolution from above' in the vast, varied, and mainly backward provinces of the Austrian Monarchy. This volume carries the story down to 1780. It describes the claustrophobic atmosphere, in which Joseph was trained to rule, his tragic marriages, and his attempts after 1765 as co-regent with his formidable mother, empress Maria Theresa, to dictate the domestic and foreign policy of the monarchy. The author shows that p...