A comprehensive history of the powerful dynasty that dominated Europe for nearly a thousand years, and the distinctive universe it created, only to be lost at the dawn of the 20th century. From humble beginnings as Swabian feudal lords, the Habsburgs brought control of the Holy Roman Empire in the 15th century and then, within a few decades, achieved dominion over vast swaths of the globe, from Hungary, the Netherlands and Spain to Peru and Mexico. Historians often portray the Habsburg Empire as an unstable patchwork of statesmanship, but Reidy clearly demonstrates the Habsburgs' indomitable will to power, fueled by their belief in their higher purpose - to be defenders of the Catholic Church, guarantors of peace and patrons of enlightenment. From internecine skirmishes in what would become the Swiss cantons to the catastrophe of World War I, this book contains everything you need to know about the dynasty that forever changed the European continent and the world. The purpose of this book is to tell about the Habsburg Empire, about their ideas and how others imagined them, about their goals, plans and failures. For more than nine centuries, the House of Habsburg gave birth to simpletons and seers, fans of magic and Freemasons, religious fanatics, rulers who cared about their subjects, patrons of the arts and devotees of science, builders of amazing palaces and cathedrals. For whom: For those who are interested in the past and like to read about very strange people who played a huge role in history.