The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of a Habsburg Archduke

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Wilhelm Von Habsburg wore the uniform of the Austrian officer, the court regalia of a Habsburg archduke, the simple suit of a Parisian exile, the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and, every so often, a dress. He could handle a saber, a pistol, a rudder, or a golf club; he handled women by necessity and men for pleasure. He spoke the Italian of his archduchess mother, the German of his archduke father, the English of his British royal friends, the Polish of the country his father wished to rule, and the Ukrainian of the land Wilhelm wished to rule himself.

In this exhilarating narrative history, prize-winning historian Timothy D. Snyder offers an indelible portrait of an aristocrat whose life personifies the wrenching upheavals of the first half of the twentieth century, as the rule of empire gave way to the new politics of nationalism.

Coming of age during the First World War, Wilhelm repudiated his family to fight alongside Ukrainian peasants in hopes that he would become their king. When this dream collapsed he became, by turns, an ally of German imperialists, a notorious French lover, an angry Austrian monarchist, a calm opponent of Hitler, and a British spy against Stalin.

Played out in Europe's glittering capitals and bloody battlefields, in extravagant ski resorts and dank prison cells, The Red Prince captures an extraordinary moment in the history of Europe, in which the old order of the past was giving way to an undefined future--and in which everything, including identity itself, seemed up for grabs

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The Red Prince by Timothy D. Snyder is a well-crafted historical narrative in which the author reveals the history of the end of the Hapsburg era and the rise of complex poltical conflicts in central Europe through the events in the life of a previously obscure Hapsburg archduke, from his birth in a palace to his death in a prison cell. This work is good writing and good history.

In the Red Prince, the author very effectively weaves the personal story of Wilhelm von Hapsburg into the tumultuous history of the final days of the Hapsburg empire and the efforts of various Hapsburgs to not only preserve the empire, but expand it, against significant odds. The role of the Hapsburgs in the development of a Ukrainian national identity is overstated, but nonetheless - the book is fascinating. While the author spends a bit too much time on the intrigues of the Hapsburg court during the first 100 pages or so (proving that scandalous Hollywood has NOTHING on the Hapsburgs)., the remainder tells the story of a Hapsburg price with a tremendous vision that he just couldn't realize. Wonderful book.

This beautifully written book describes the historical background and fate of the last Hapsburgs--the dynasty that was the last form of the Holy Roman Empire. Wilhelm is shown as a flawed person, alternately naive and cynical, but also capable of growth, and as never wavering from his devotion to the ultimate goal of Ukrainian independence. He continued as he had during the war, helping Western intelligence to make connections with Ukrainians intent upon having their own country.

His own choice of the Ukraine as a nation he hoped some day to head as its monarch, is the centerpiece of his life. He died of tuberculosis a few days after being given what was effectively a death sentence via hard labor.The author does a good job of describing the tenor of various locales and periods that help us understand the person Wilhelm was. It centers upon one of the last archdukes, Wilhelm.

He--and they--failed, and his fate, like so many of theirs, took the form of interrogation, trial, and sentence by the Soviet political-judicial apparatus. His was not a dilettante's interest: he lived among, fought alongside, and became fluent in the language of Ukrainians during the period that the first World War was fought. In search of the sovereignty of Ukrainians, his own journey covered the range from political far left to far right.ending with democratic politics immediately at the conclusion of the second World War.

Further, there is a final rumination about the parallels between what the Hapsburgs sought in trying to rescue their empire from the cauldron of the first war, and how the fate of contemporary Europe--and Ukraine in particular--compares with that vision. All in all, a very good historical read, and--it bears emphasis by repetition--wonderfully written.

We see how former royals minimized their losses through the intercession of their still enthroned royal relatives. This is an excellent overview of the fading of the Habsburg Monarchy and 20th Century history of the Ukraine and Poland. We see the limits of Hitler's control of his killing machine. For all I have read on causes and consequences of WWI and II, this short book, covering one small corner of history helped me frame not so much what happened, but how it happened.Through the lives of this minor branch of the Habsburg family we learn how the Ukraine developed its national identity and, despite the dedication of Wilhelm Habsburg (aka Vasyl Vyshyvanyi) and other martyrs, was swallowed by Russia. Similarly, we see how Poland was forced into the Soviet yoke. and so much more.Best of all, we see how countries were formed from the former Habsburg lands. Page 263 has a map which shows the blends of nationalities the Habsburgs were attempting to unify and the stunning changes that took place in the last 100 years.For me, this was a wonderfully enjoyable book, and through it I was better able to visualize 20th century European history.

As one of the other reviewers wrote, this book is perhaps too long for the material that it covers. This is one perspective in the history of this branch of the Habsburg clan. Then we'll have a richer, rounder history. On the other hand, I wanted to learn more about a minor branch of the Habsburg family, one that had been involved in politics in Poland and the Ukraine for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. Americans generally know too little about the Habsburgs, east central Europe, and pre-World War II history. This book provided excellent material on that family. Certain ideas and phrases end up being repeated over and over and over again. If others disagree with how this perspective sees the family, then they should write their own books with other perspectives.

Some of the more negative reviews say that the book is too nostalgic for the Habsburg era and idealizes the members of this minor branch of the imperial family. I agree to an extent, but I don't see that a slight bias toward extending the family the benefit of the doubt undermines the historical information and interpretation of the entire book. Until then, this is a good look at an interesting family. They can learn something from this book.