Not Just the Tudors Rise of the Habsburgs
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Sep 8, 2025 
In this insightful discussion, Professor Martyn Rady, a leading expert on Central European history and author of *The Habsburgs*, delves into the incredible journey of the Habsburg dynasty from modest origins to imperial dominance. He explores their ingenious strategic marriages, which expanded their influence across Europe, and the darker impacts of inbreeding on their lineage. The conversation also highlights the Habsburgs' intricate governance strategies and their rivalry with the Ottoman Empire during a transformative period in history.
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Power Built On Dynasty Not Nation
- The Habsburgs built power through dynastic prestige, legal tradition and marriage rather than national unity or mass conquest.
- Their empire grew into a patchwork of territories held together by ceremony, law and family ties rather than uniform control.
Ancestry Shapes Imperial Ambition
- The Habsburg worldview drew on Holy Roman Empire tradition and Austrian predecessors like the Babenbergs and Hohenstaufen.
- This cultivated sense of inherited greatness positioned Austria as the kernel of a larger imperial destiny.
A Parricide That Dented Prestige
- The Habsburgs suffered a severe eclipse in the 14th century after a nephew murdered King Albert and lost prestige to the Luxembourg dynasty.
- They even ceased to be among the seven electors, marking a painful decline in status.
