This book examines the crucial role of the Habsburg dynasty in European affairs over 700 years, from the election of Rudolph as emperor (1273)  through the great Empress Maria Theresa (1740-1780) to the long-lived Emperor Franz Joseph (1848-1916). The Danube Monarchy brought together nine different nations in an irenic  unity in diversity. The book  also examines in detail  the flowering of culture under the Habsburg  rule: the extraordinary artists from the  Carolingian Era to Expressionism; some of the greatest composers of all time who made Vienna the world capital of music; and some...