Jeremi Suri: Lessons From a Fallen Empire
Americans are more innovative than ever, says UT historian Jeremi Suri—but our government isn’t. To ensure future excellence, Suri argues, we must look to the past.
Vienna was the center of European creativity from 1780-914. It was the city of Mozart and Beethoven, of Klimt and Kokoschka. Vienna pioneered modern art as we know it. And the Austro-Hungarian capital led the new science of psychoanalysis with the work of Sigmund Freud and his many followers. The mix of ethnicities and cultures in this uniquely cosmopolitan 19th-century city made it a true crucible of innovation and creativity. You can still see and hear the remnants of that long-gone golden age today in the music, the art, and the libraries that have outlasted their political masters.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed in 1918, but not because it failed to cultivate new ideas or nurture personal freedom. Like the U.S. today, it was filled with expressive, entrepreneurial, and free-thinking groups. The problem was that the Habsburg political system, which for three centuries had held diverse groups together, generated remarkable wealth, and defeated foreign tyrants (notably Napoleon), failed to adjust to new demands for national independence and democratic participation.
Franz-Josef served as emperor for more than 60 years before his death in 1916, as a pious, hard-working, and fair-minded political leader. He even encouraged equality for Jews at a time of rising anti-Semitism throughout Europe. Nonetheless, the system of imperial monarchy that he directed failed to address the growing demands for independence, development, and wealth redistribution throughout his lands. Despite his efforts, he was a prisoner of a stagnant and outdated set of political institutions.
Even with the best of leaders and institutions, large societies cannot prosper if they cannot adjust to change. At the same time that the cosmopolitan city of Vienna entered a terminal crisis in 1914, much more provincial cities like Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Cleveland led a rapid growth in American wealth and power behind their flexible political systems of governance.
These Midwestern cities were the heart of a Progressive Movement that courageously assessed the needs of businesses and citizens at the time, and experimented with institutions in ways that traditional Europeans would never contemplate. The Progressives believed in the U.S. Constitution, but they took their inspiration from the needs of the time, what William James and John Dewey called a “pragmatic” impulse.
Pragmatic reforms were the engine behind the transformations that allowed American society to grow and adjust while European society stagnated. Americans in the late 19th century created the public high school before any other society, with the expectation that all workers needed some basic vocational and intellectual preparation for a modern economy.
Americans invested in railroads and highways on a scale that no other society would match until Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Most important, Americans expanded political participation for poor citizens, for immigrants, and for women beyond other countries at the time. (African-Americans, still frequently denied the right to vote in the former Confederacy, were the notable exception to this final trend.)
When the Austro-Hungarian Empire entered the First World War, it was a sophisticated but stagnant political regime. When the U.S. entered the First World War, it had a still provincial but incredibly dynamic government, ready to experiment with new policies and institutions, such as the creation of the Federal Reserve System to manage a modern economy in 1913. People in Chicago and Detroit were not better innovators than their counterparts in Vienna, but they had a government that was more responsive and encouraging of their new solutions for contemporary challenges.
This basic historical analysis is the source of my combined frustration and optimism about the future of the U.S. in the early 21st century. Our society is filled with more creative young people than ever before. Just look at our technology, our medicine, our entertainment industries, and our university campuses. No other country has as many diverse individuals pushing the boundaries of innovation on a daily basis. We continue to nurture and attract the best people in these and other fields. American society is as creative as it has ever been, as impressive as the Vienna of Mozart and Beethoven.
The problem is our governance, and that is the source of my frustration. I believe this is a frustration shared by millions of other Americans. Our political system that served us so well in the past does not harness the creativity of our citizens today. It does not address the core challenges that most need flexibility and innovation. Our political system is stagnant and non-responsive to needs across society. Our political system often disgusts us in its daily operations, and it does not inspire us. Citizens do not look up to our politicians for good reason.
Despite all of our new technology, we have failed to build 21st-century infrastructure for our society. Our electrical power grid, our roads, our airports—they are all crumbling. Despite our remarkable advances in medicine, we have made absolutely no progress during the last decade in delivering health care to all citizens in a way that is affordable, cost-effective, and sustainable. We are, in fact, bankrupting ourselves because we cannot manage the best medicine in the world.
And then there is education. Since the 1970s, our system of education has failed to provide the social mobility for hard-working people of modest means that it pioneered in prior generations. Children of well-educated professional parents get a high quality education today, preparing them for success. Children of poorly educated non-professional parents get an inferior education, and they are statistically stuck in the same circumstances where they started. What happened to the American dream of self-improvement for the unwashed masses?
The real “game changer” for the American future is whether our society can summon the will to bring the creative impulses of our citizens into government. We have good solutions for our challenges, but they are not getting attention from our government as it exists. American citizens must demand creative leaders and more dynamic political institutions, as they have not in the last decade. American voters must begin, as they did in the late nineteenth century, by electing school board leaders, mayors, and governors who offer innovative policies, not the empty rhetoric about cutting waste or class warfare that animates this year’s presidential election so far. The U.S. needs more innovative and responsive government if it is to avoid the fate of Habsburg Vienna.
Jeremi Suri photo via Game Changers video.
Vienna photo circa 1910-1915, via the Library of Congress.
Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at UT, where he has appointments in the Department of History, the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and the Strauss Center for International Security and Law.
This article first appeared on the Global Trends 2030 blog, moderated by LBJ School assistant professor William Inboden.
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19 Comments
Logical, intelligent and well-said; possibly to the point of being so obvious that many won’t recognize its powerful truth.
Thank you
Interesting well thought out article. The author mentioned Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Cleveland and the Progressive Movement behind their rise to prominence in the early 1900′s. In my opinion, most of those cities have declined substantially over the last 50 years, especially Detroit, which was a beacon of success 50-60 years ago. Since the 1960′s Detroit has experienced a huge loss of its middle working class and all that’s left is one of the poorest most violent cities in America. It would be interesting to hear the author’s opinion regarding the Progressive Movement of the early 1900′s vs. the Progressive Movement of today, and how we can learn from mistakes of political leaders in cities where today’s Progressive Movement is failing. Most importantly, what changes need to be made to the political system in those cities to bring the creative impulses of its citizens into government?
Interesting. Please proof your dates. And then go to Bosnia…. Sorry, just do not see the US and A/H Empire link. Now, we might end up like that, but good thing we are Texans.
Simplistic reply. I thought this blog was for critical thinkers not some drunken red neck party boy.
How true! The problem, as evidenced by another frustrating election cycle, is getting leaders with a combination of vision and the ability to implement ideas, whose practices are not dictated by, or certainly influenced by, the need to sell out to finance the next election. Such leaders exist, but they are not permitted to prevail by the “system”. I am hopeful, but I am not optimistic.
Interesting article, but Chicago is better known for it’s gun violence & Detroit is better known for it’s bailouts, so past creativity seems to have been erased. Today, the Tea Party movement seems to be the most progressive movement. They are waging war on the irresponsible actions of our federal government. Vote for Republican & Tea Party candidates & if they prevail, you will see fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government & free market economics, which should give rise to creativity again.
Like the tectonic plates our government led by a fraction of our society is gradually moving apart from the majority of the people.
We have all the ingredients to advance towards what I call a Diamond Age – It is better than a Golden Age – if our government truly becomes a government of all the people without exception, for all the people without exception, and by those in the public sector who are dedicated to these propositions.
When I attended UT there were only two buildings that stood out in Austin — the Tower & the Capitol. It is only a short walk between these two great symbols of the pursuit of knowledge and the exercise of power, but the chasm of mistrust is deep and treacherous, and few are courageous enough to attempt to bridge it. I have been privileged to know some of them. Perhaps, Professor Suri, you will be another of this select group.
I was a UT when you were John. I would prefer a more enlightened and balanced analysis. However, it would be my pleasure to meet Prof. Suri because I’d like his answer to a number of questions.
Great article, but missing the key point in America’s decline: Racism. Our colleges and universities may be attracting the most brilliant minds worldwide, but most will eventually end up going back to where they came because the way they look, talk, or approach issues is still not considered “American” enough. In other words, the doctrine of “If it ain’t White, it ain’t right” is still very prevalent in America today. To support my point, look around you in this country-over 90% of managers, supervisors and business leaders in all industries, almost 99% of all CEO’s in almost all business sectors, and over 80% of political leaders in every branch of government, are Whites, and recently, many are uneducated or half-educated Whites who believe they are entitled to the millions of dollars they get each year for bringing down their companies through stupid deals, or destroying our cities with their stupid and wasteful endeavors. We can’t blame the fool with power, but blame ourselves for giving power to the fool in the first place. There’s hope for America if we all stand up and fight racism.
Wow! That’s an overly simplistic answer to a complex issue! I wonder if 90% of all managers in China or Japan are oriental? There is a huge difference between establishing a “fact” and explaining the proximate cause (or more likely, causes) of that “fact.” Here’s an example–a large percentage of players in the NBA are black. Therefore, can I deduce that the “system” is prejudiced against whites, or latinos, or orientals? Maybe there is something else at play here. Maybe blacks see sports as their best way to break through whatever ceiling is keeping them down. Maybe the real answer lies in getting them to realize that education can be just as liberating as a great jump shot or the ability to dunk. I do believe we as a nation have made attempts to attract minorities to various career fields–with varying degrees of success. However, if you want to be successful, you have to consider what the society values. If you’re unwilling to educate yourself (an individual and family responsibility–but govt gives us the opportunity to do that) or to learn how to work well with others, you’re not going to go very far here (or any other country for that matter).
Mason,if racism will undo America, it will undo the universe. Every country on the globe–and I’ve been in 80% of them–have the kind of “racism” you are describing, more or less. I wish I could remember the UT sociologist who published a paper two years ago on skin color and leadership. It seems that many countries of the world, even those dominated by darked skinned populations, nevertheless choose leaders with much lighter skin. Mexico is a good example. Go figure humanity. I live in a Dallas suburb and the neighborhood is 30% Indian. They hold higher positions and command higher salaries than most of the other 70%. Most of them have dark skin and live in $300-$400K housing. There’s also a retired, sweet, black union boss from Detroit in my block. He lives in a $300K+ house he bought two years ago, drives a new car and spends many of his days playing golf with predominantly white but some black men at the local golf course. Robert thumbs his nose at all talk about racism in America.
Thank you for all of the excellent comments. I think these insightful responses point to the many impediments to creativity and improvement in our current society: racism, bureaucracy, divisions between government and university, and partisanship, of course. The comments remind me of how much we work we have ahead of us.
If nothing else, we need to re-double our educational efforts, reaching as many talented young people as possible. In addition, I am convinced that we have to do a better job of choosing leaders. We need to do everything we can to elucidate the challenges of our time and the qualities we need for effective leaders – at the local, state, and national levels. Instead of choosing by party or because of money, we need to find the best possible people individuals, encourage them to run for office, and vote for them. We need another Kennedy-like call to public service among our best citizens and students. I believe we can make this happen if we play our appropriate roles as teachers, parents, and mentors. Let’s get started…
REVISED VERSION TO CORRECT TYPOS:
Thank you for all of the excellent comments. I think these insightful responses point to the many impediments to creativity and improvement in our current society: racism, bureaucracy, divisions between government and university, and partisanship, of course. The comments remind me of how much work we have ahead of us.
If nothing else, we need to re-double our educational efforts, reaching as many talented young people as possible. In addition, I am convinced that we have to do a better job of choosing leaders. We need to do everything we can to elucidate the challenges of our time and the qualities we need for effective leaders – at the local, state, and national levels. Instead of choosing by party or because of money, we need to find the best possible individuals, encourage them to run for office, and vote for them. We need another Kennedy-like call to public service among our best citizens and students. I believe we can make this happen if we play our appropriate roles as teachers, parents, and mentors. Let’s get started…
Thought provoking article! One vital point that the article did not touch on is Austrian Economics. America inherited some of the finest minds from the Austrian school of economics, but too many have failed to listen to their hard learned lessons. Today’s Austrian Economists predicted the current global economic crisis, have a clear explanation for what went wrong, and have real solutions to resolve the crisis. It is clear at this point that the “experiment” of the “Federal Reserve System to manage a modern economy” has failed repeatedly in its stated aims to prevent recessions and depressions. Notably Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has admitted the Fed caused the Great Depression, and more recently the Fed has secretly lent trillions to member banks as well as foreign banks, something that has no place in a free, democratic society. Learn more about Austrian economics at http://mises.org/
Okay, I am not a tenured professor and only have an MA in History from UT, but even I can find the gaping flaws in Suri’s arguments. First of all, our infrastructure is not crumbling. It’s not flawless, but it’s not crumbling. Want to see poor infrastructure–look at India where 600 million people were recently without power for several days. Or for that matter, our neighbor to the south–Mexico. That’s why we are so attractive to much of their populous. Predictably, Suri then moves to the tired argument about education and how our government must do more. The truth is that we as a society have been pouring more and more wealth into education over the past 40 years with very little to show for it. I live in PA, and my state spends over $18 k to educate each and every child in PA. Are you kidding me? Why can my local Catholic school spend half that and get the same or better results? The same argument can be made for home/cyber schools. I’ll tell you the difference–it’s parental involvement–not government largesse. Why do college costs escalate much faster than the rate of inflation–or even health care costs? It’s because anyone who can fog a mirror can get a govt-backed, college loan. Does this sound familiar? Remember the sub-prime housing collapse? College loan debt now exceeds revolving credit debt. And the education industry would have us believe that we need to do more–to “spend more.” Not hardly–government needs to get out of the way and let our “doers”–our entrepreneurs– get on with it.
When I was in high school my English teacher was predicting the end of our civilization due to lax family values. His belief was that day care was not giving family values and too many folks were relying on day care. He also related our civilization to that of the Roman Empire and it’s downfall.
One of my book clubs recently read, The Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard. This the history of the era and life of James Garfield, our president that all my history classes glossed over as unimportant because he never really got his presidency underway. We read the book, discussed the book and the era, and felt we certainly are a fortunate nation. Sandy
Mr. Self, you could not have stated the case more accurately. As long as we continue to deny that the problem is PARENTAL, we can spend $400/student but the results will remain more or less the same. It’s Einstein’s definition of insanity with which we are all familiar.
A good book. Here’s another good book to read.
Jack’s War
www. jackswar. com