How did the Hapsburgs form a massive, multiethnic empire out of some disorganized principalities? Why was Austria-Hungary a thing? Did the Habsburg Empire really collapse because it was an anachronistic "empire of nations?" And is the Habsburg Empire coming back through a dynastic marriage with future "American Caesar," Barron Trump? To get answers to these pressing questions, we speak with Natasha Wheatley of Princeton University about her book The Life and Death of States: Central Europe and the Transformation of Modern Sovereignty. Ted and Natasha discuss the early history of the empire, the pressures of the 1848 revolutions, and legal innovations of the empire, and speculate as to why people are still compelled by monarchical structures. Buy the book here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691244075/the-life-and-death-of-states Read her Dial piece here: https://www.thedial.world/articles/news/issue-20/eduard-habsburg-the-habsburg-way-review See the insane Twitter thread about Barron's potential princess wives here: https://x.com/Shahenshah_Chud/status/1789716792325062871 Follow Eduard here: https://x.com/EduardHabsburg and (preferably) Natasha here: https://x.com/natasha_wheatl Thanks so much to everyone who listened to Spaßbremse in 2024! Wishing you a Happy New Year and looking forward to a great 2025 (for the podcast and its listeners at least, if not the world at large). ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider. Support us on Patreon here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

***this is an unlocked episode from our Patreon, subscribe for more bonus content*** On our first premium bonus episode, Michelle and Ted talk about one of the most exciting, innovative, and "dynamisch" people in German politics: the one and only Christian Lindner, leader of the FDP and likely next German finance minister.  This episode's reading is courtesy of Politico: Christian Lindner - The Radical from their 2018 list of "the 28 people who are shaping, shaking and stirring Europe."  Our boy Lindner's been catching a lot of people's attention lately, and our competitors over at Deutsche Welle beat us to a profile earlier this week. You can check it out (if you must) here: Christian Lindner - The FDP's clever tactician   To see some of the incredible Lindner photos mocked on this episode, check out the biography page on his website. You can find the oft-mentioned TV spot from 1997 about the young Lindner's ad business on YouTube.  Produced by Isaac Würmann. Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter: @spassbremse_pod. Subscribe to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

Happy 18 Brumaire! In the honor of the anniversary and this week's election, Spaßbremse has a "guys who don't like democracy" special with special guest Everett Rummage of the Age of Napoleon podcast. We discuss whether comparisons between Hitler and Napoleon are valid and what any traits they share might say about rightwing strongmen in general. Listen to The Age of Napoleon here: https://ageofnapoleon.com/ ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider. Support us on Patreon here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

**This is a free preview, subscribe to our Patreon here to hear the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse⁠** ****************** After the disaster at Jena in 1806, how did Prussia recover to defeat Napoleon less than nine years later at Waterloo? What enabled their rise to become the dominant force in the German speaking world? And how did the mythology of the Befreiungskrieg play into subsequent German nationalism? To discuss, Prof. Michael Leggiere comes back on the pod to take us from 1806 to 1871 for part 2 of our series on Napoleon and Germany. Part 3 will discuss the Napoleonic war's legacy during the Third Reich and examine whether parallels between Napoleon and Hitler are accurate. -Read Prof. Leggiere's book on Napoleon and Germany here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/napoleon-and-the-struggle-for-germany/4E88DDB613B7258659CF6AF4CB57E4B3 -Read his article on the military campaigns in Germany here: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/29/article/40473/pdf ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Written and produced by Ted Knudsen. Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider.

How did Germany go from a chaotic mix of kingdoms and principalities to a unified empire in less than a century? We all know the story of Bismarck, but in this episode Professor Michael Leggiere outlines the ways in which Napoleon Bonaparte--the Corsican-born Emperor of France--was instrumental in forging a unified Germany. This is part one of a three-part series and covers 1789 to 1806. Part 2 will cover 1807 to 1815, and part 3 will conclude. -Read Prof. Leggiere's book on Napoleon and Germany here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/napoleon-and-the-struggle-for-germany/4E88DDB613B7258659CF6AF4CB57E4B3 -Read his article on the military campaigns in Germany here: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/29/article/40473/pdf ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider. Support us on Patreon here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

Germany is often lauded for its Vergangenheitsbewältigung. Is the praise it receives for "working through" the past justified? To explore one aspect of how Germany tries to address its dark history, Ted speaks with Berlin-based journalist Peter Kuras about the system of antisemitism commissioners that has risen to prominence since the late 2010s—and has become increasingly controversial over the past year. They explore the role that these institutions play in cultural and political life, ask whether Germany now represents a "historical reckoning gone haywire," and discuss whether the admirable aim of atoning for Nazi crimes can be achieved in a more inclusive and just way. -Read Peter's Jewish Currents piece on "The Strange Logic of Germany’s Antisemitism Bureaucrats" https://jewishcurrents.org/the-strange-logic-of-germanys-antisemitism-bureaucrats -Read his Guardian piece on those six little words that no German antisemitism commissioner wants to hear: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/16/germany-free-speech-israel-gaza-war -Follow Peter on Twitter here: https://x.com/plk -Read the Susan Neiman NYRB piece on "Historical Reckoning Gone Haywire" here: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/10/19/historical-reckoning-gone-haywire-germany-susan-neiman/ ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider. Support us on Patreon here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

**This is a free preview, subscribe to our Patreon here to hear the full episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse** Summer is in full swing, which means the Berlin tourism season is as well. Aside from the crowded sidewalks, do the tens of thousands of historical tours that take place each year have any larger political and ideological meaning? To find out, Ted speaks with longtime (and excellent) Berlin tour guide Ryan Balmer to examine what people come to Berlin looking for, what they tend to walk away with, and what this all means for both the city itself and how the rest of world understands German history. Find Ryan on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/berlin_reguided/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet Check out his videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpwsE8V1YrJ8Mevb2vKfd4g Read Ghosts of Berlin here: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/G/bo28471172.html -- Hosted by Ted. Edited by Nick. Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter: @spassbremse_pod. Photo courtesy of Johannes Novy.

EU electoral politics expert Ciarán of Corner Späti joins to discuss the results from last weekend's European Parliament vote. From the big political shifts to the Continent's most obscure parties, Ciarán and Ted break it down and speculate about what the next five years could hold. ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider. Edited by Nick. Support us on Patreon here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse

Chris Wade of Chapo Trap House joins to discuss Cincinnati's rich German heritage, including beer culture, baseball, and the impact of world wars. They explore the evolution of beer consumption, preservation of German identities in Cincinnati, and the erasure of German heritage during WWI and WWII. The conversation also touches on Taft's legacy, neighborhood transformations, and the enduring influence of German immigrants on the city's identity.

With a month to go until the European Parliament elections—and the right's vote share expected to surge—what is the state of conservatism in the EU? To find out, Ted speaks with returning guest Hans Kundnani (@hanskundnani), a fellow at NYU's Remarque Institute and Chatham House. They discuss his recent book Eurowhiteness as well as several recent articles on Germany's relationship with the rest of the world and what it means for Europe. -Buy the book here: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/eurowhiteness/ -Read the Dissent Piece on Germany-Israel here: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/zionism-uber-alles/ -Read his article on the "Berlin Blob" here: https://theideasletter.substack.com/p/the-berlin-blob ***** Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠@spassbremse_pod⁠⁠⁠). Music by ⁠⁠⁠Lee Rosevere⁠⁠⁠. Art by Franziska Schneider. Edited by Nick. Support us on Patreon here ⁠https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse