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Liberalism after the Habsburg Monarchy, 1918-1935

National Liberal Heirs in the Czech Lands, Austria, and Slovenia
Palgrave Studies in Political History

von: Oskar Mulej
149,79 €
Verlag:	Palgrave Macmillan
Format:	PDF
Veröffentl.:	13.08.2024
ISBN/EAN:	9783031644795
Sprache:	englisch
Anzahl Seiten:	360

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Beschreibungen

Titelbeschreibung

This book explores what it meant to be ‘liberal ’ in interwar Czech, Austrian, and Slovenian politics. Up until 1918, these countries shared the common political framework of Cisleithania (the Austrian part of the Habsburg Monarchy). Within this framework was the predominantly pejorative function of the label ‘liberal,’ and as a result after 1918, no major political party employed it to describe its own political orientation. Despite making considerable efforts to dissociate themselves from liberalism, many parties continued to be referred to as ‘liberal ’ by the contemporary public. This association with liberalism, the book argues, was primarily due to the parties’ historical background rather than any ideological commitment to liberalism, and for that reason, the author refers to them as ‘national liberal heirs.’ Examining the (dis)continuities of liberal party traditions, the book presents three representative cases of national liberal heirs: the Czechoslovak National Democracy; the Greater German People’s Party; and the Slovenian sections of the Yugoslav Democratic Party, the Independent Democratic Party, and the Yugoslav National Party. Forming a distinctive part of early twentieth-century party landscapes in Central Europe, the national liberal heirs had inherited organisational structures, parts of electorate, as well as rootedness in specific cultural and social milieus from their liberal predecessors. Following the political trajectories of the national liberal heirs, the author seeks to answer in which spheres, in which manners, and to what extent liberalism survived or even continued to develop in the interwar Czech lands, Austria, and Slovenia.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: What Kind of Liberalism is this Book After?.- Chapter 3: From National Liberals towards their Heirs: Developmental Patterns in Central European Liberal Party Traditions, 1867-1918.- Chapter 4: Semantics of Liberalism: What did it Mean to be 'Liberal' in Interwar Czech, Austrian and Slovene Contexts?.- Chapter 5: 'National Liberal Heirs' as Region-Specific Type of Political Party.- Chapter 6: 'National Liberals' Devoid of Liberalism? Nationalist Conceptions and Rhetoric: Continuities and Change.- Chapter 7: Limited Government vs. the 'New Order'.- Chapter 8: A Glimpse Beyond Party Politics.

Autorenportrait

Oskar Mulej is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Vienna. His primary field of scholarly interest is the political and intellectual history of Central Europe since the late nineteenth century. In 2020 he independently designed and taught an MA-level course entitled 'Liberalism: Introduction into the History of a Political Concept' at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary.

Back cover copy

“In an age of increasing illiberalism in Europe today, this persuasive study of liberal politics and parties in the interwar years is a welcome addition to our understanding of that slippery, yet critical political concept: liberalism.”

—Pieter M. Judson, European University Institute

“Oskar Mulej’s path-breaking book traces various attempts to salvage at least some liberal values and institutions in a non-liberal age and region: interwar Central Europe.”

—Maciej Janowski, Polish Academy of Sciences

This book explores what it meant to be ‘liberal’ in interwar Czech, Austrian, and Slovenian politics. Up until 1918, these countries shared the common political framework of Cisleithania (the Austrian part of the Habsburg Monarchy). Within this framework was the predominantly pejorative function of the label ‘liberal,’ and as a result after 1918, no major political party employed it to describe its own political orientation. Despite making considerable efforts to dissociate themselves from liberalism, many parties continued to be referred to as ‘liberal’ by the contemporary public. This association with liberalism, the book argues, was primarily due to the parties’ historical background rather than any ideological commitment to liberalism, and for that reason, the author refers to them as ‘national liberal heirs.’ Examining the (dis)continuities of liberal party traditions, the book presents three representative cases of national liberal heirs:  the Czechoslovak National Democracy; the Greater German People's Party; and the Slovenian sections of the Yugoslav Democratic Party, the Independent Democratic Party, and the Yugoslav National Party. Forming a distinctive part of early twentieth-century party landscapes in Central Europe, the national liberal heirs had inherited organisational structures, parts of electorate, as well as rootedness in specific cultural and social milieus from their liberal predecessors. Following the political trajectories of the national liberal heirs, the author seeks to answer in which spheres, in which manners, and to what extent liberalism survived or even continued to develop in the interwar Czech lands, Austria, and Slovenia.

Oskar Mulej is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Vienna in Austria.

Sonderbeitrag

Represents the first systematic comparative study of liberalism in the interwar post-Habsburg framework Binds together case studies from three different countries, combining a comparative and ‘entangled history’ approach Demonstrates how liberalism continued to have a marginal, but nonetheless visible, role in the politics of the region

Unpublished endorsement

“In an age of increasing illiberalism in Europe today, Oskar Mulej’s persuasive study of liberal politics and parties in the interwar years is a welcome addition to our understanding of that slippery, yet critical political concept: liberalism. Eschewing normative definitions, he explores liberal practice and ideology in terms of the challenging situations faced by the men and women in interwar Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Slovenia (Yugoslavia) who “inherited” the pre-war national liberal parties. Mulej’s analysis shows how their increasing tendency to define their practice in terms of ethnic nationhood transformed the older parties.  While some notable individuals remained steadfast supporters of a pre-war liberal legacy, the parties and their politicians largely made peace with and contributed significantly to the rise of popular authoritarianism and dictatorship.” (Pieter M. Judson, European University Institute) 
 
“Some hundred years ago, after decades of triumph, liberalism entered its deepest crisis. However, it did not die. Oskar Mulej’s path-breaking book traces various attempts to salvage at least some liberal values and institutions in a non-liberal age and region: in the interwar Central Europe. It also shows how nationalism – originally a quintessential liberal idea – throws off the liberal garb and evolve in a radically rightist direction. This story of interwar period reads like our own story.” (Maciej Janowski, Polish Academy of Sciences)