xiv, 301 pages : 24 cm

"Austria, a small-state society with barely eight million inhabitants, differs from the rest of Europe in that it displays various paradoxical developments in its political culture, social life and economy. First, most Austrians are the descendants of immigrants from all parts of the Habsburg Monarchy due to intensive migration occurring before 1913. Yet, contemporary election campaigns and domestic and international politics have been dominated by xenophobic anti-migration slogans, especially since 1989. Without migration, the country's population would be in serious decline. Second, the Austrians have profited enormously from EU membership and EU enlargement but are stubbornly opposed to EU institutions, and there is little evidence of any EU hyphenated identities. Last, attitudes to historical events are equally contradictory: even though up to 600,000 Austrians were members of the Nazi Party, often holding prominent positions, the German Reich has been regarded as solely responsible for World War II and the Holocaust. These and a number of other paradoxical perceptions are explored and interpreted in this fascinating and wide-ranging work by one of Austria's leading historians."--Jacket

Includes bibliographical references and index

Austrian identity between national pride, solipsism, and European patriotism -- Peculiarities of Austrian democracy -- "Austria can beat everything, if only she wants to" : myth and reality of Austrian economic policy since 1945 -- Ten chancellors, and not one a woman -- The newspaper tycoons of the Second Republic -- Neutrality and the state treaty in a new Europe -- "Alles Walzer ..." : the politics of art and culture as the early Second Republic's elixir of life -- The Austrian model of the welfare state and inter-generational and inter-gender contracts since 1945 -- Shadow of the past -- Austria's political future : some trends

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