The Semester in Review

After looking back on my first blog post from this semester I am surprised with how much I have learned over the past 15 weeks. At the beginning of the semester I knew almost nothing about Central Europe. I had heard of the Habsburg dynasty, although only in the context of the Spanish monarchy. I knew that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand had caused the outbreak of the first World War, but I had no idea why one might want to murder him, and what an "archduke" actually was.

In my first blog posts I talked about three different points. I will now discuss how my view of these points has changed as a result of this course.

1. The difference in the roles of the Catholic Church in the region as a whole is much different than in Western Europe. 

The role of religion in Central Europe is much more complicated than I ever could have imagined. The struggle between Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Muslims has lasted centuries and continues to be an issue. From early persecutions, to White Mountain, to World War 2, religious minorities have faced incredible challenges throughout Central Europe. 

2. I learned the true origins of the Habsburg dynasty, a family that in its time controlled most of the European continent, including my specialization Spain. 

I have learned that the Habsburg dynasty grew over time--through marriage--to become one of the most prestigious, strongest, and longest-lasting dynasties in European history. Habsburg influence in world history can not be overstated, and at one point Habsburg rule extended from the Americas, throughout Europe, and to the East Indies. Until its demise in the early 20th century, the Habsburg dynasty was a major force do be reckoned with. 

3. I learned the extremely complicated ethnic situation in the formation of the Czech territory, including the four major ethnic groups at the formation of the city of Prague, including the Roman, Celtic, German, and Slavic cultures. 

The mix of ethnicity and cultures all throughout Central Europe did not disappear with the creation of new countries and empires. The incredibly complicated mixture of religions and cultures has led to war, persecutions, the rise of nationalism, the fall of empires, and the creation of new countries. This multiculturalism was one of the strongest detriments to the Habsburg dynasty as centuries of Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Ukrainian, and Slavic nationalism took their toll.