Trebinje is a small, inland town on the Bosnian side of the border with Montenegro. Dubrovnik is on the coast 30 km to the West, Sarajevo is 130 km to the North, while Vienna lies a distant 700 km away. In 1895, there were about 3,000 inhabitants with a mix of religions—Orthodox, Muslim, and Catholic. The locals spoke Bosnian, closely related to Croatian and Serbian, while German was used in official matters and, increasingly, in everyday interactions. Cathie Carmichael’s book traces Habsburg rule in Bosnia from 1878 to 1918 through the lens of this military town. In the background are two guiding themes: first, the question of violence (she refers to Mark Levene’s work as inspiration) and, second, the texture and lived experience of daily life in the Habsburg Monarchy (reminiscent of literary writings such as Claudio Magris and Stefan Zweig). Surprisingly, for a distinguished scholar of genocide, the emphasis falls on the latter theme.
Violence punctuated the start and end of Habsburg rule. Rebellions throughout the 1870s led to a weakening of Ottoman rule across the Balkans and, at the Berlin Conference of 1878, the Habsburg Monarchy was tasked with occupying Bosnia–Herzegovina. The military commanders Stjepan Jovanić and Josip Filipović spoke the local language and attempted firm, direct communication with the population. In Trebinje, the vigorous, strict paternal figure of Djuro Babić ruled autocratically with a drive for development and improvement, giving form to the Habsburg “civilizing mission.” He gained a certain respect among the inhabitants and became the subject of many anecdotes. The introduction of conscription to the region in 1881 led to an insurgency, martial law and brutal repression. Over time, many locals were prepared to accept Habsburg rule, especially within the Muslim and Catholic communities. The Orthodox population was more ambiguous, some acquiescing with Habsburg rule, while others resisted in different forms, often forming a close connection with neighboring Serbia.
The bulk of the book is about the gradual development of Trebinje through increased fortifications, railway connection, and prominent businesses such as the Hotel Naglić. Garrisoned soldiers and civilian officials were diverted from the heat, boredom, and ennui by engagement with the local culture, scientific work, and social activities. Using sources in an impressive variety of languages, Carmichael presents a cross-section of life covering local food, clothing, music summer rituals, amateur archaeology, prostitution, and town planning. Quotes from memoirs, including soldiers on military service and travelers, provide subjective impressions and emotions.
Trebinje was governed by a mix of military and civil authorities. There was considerable stability, development and growth. More detail about the underpinnings of this period of comparative peace could have been given. How were relations between various communities, individual citizens, and the military–civilian apparatus? There is little on specific leaders, activists, conflicts, negotiations, or institutional structures. In particular, the important case of the Orthodox Serb population and its relations with the Habsburg state could have been addressed in more depth. Did the official annexation in 1908 (the region had technically remained part of the Ottoman Empire after 1878) represent a fundamental move toward resistance and assertive Serbian nationalism? Or did the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 provoke activism? Was there any change at all? What about continued loyalism, reflected in Serbian soldiers fighting on the Habsburg side?
The 1908 annexation led to a constitution and the Bosnian Diet of 1910, providing more formal institutions of representation, yet Carmichael does not investigate the elections, organizations, or campaigns. Recent work has argued for a more active populace engaging and negotiating with Habsburg authorities, reshaping Bosnian governance and administration. Franz Ferdinand’s assassination in Sarajevo fundamentally changed the region. It brought war with Serbia and shocking violence, especially against the Orthodox population along the border with Montenegro. A scorched earth policy was implemented toward some border settlements, while atrocities were committed across the Serbian front. Were there continuities between this violence and the more than three decades of Imperial Habsburg rule? Or was this violence due to wartime events and conditions, essentially different from the relatively tolerant, peaceful years? Gallows were constructed in the main square and treasonous citizens executed. Carmichael notes that until its end, the Habsburg state continued to retain much loyalty among locals. On 13 November 1918, the Serbian army entered Trebinje ushering in a new chapter in its history.
In a balanced conclusion, Carmichael highlights the enduring sentiment of nostalgia for the time within the Habsburg Monarchy and its disappeared “beautiful world” (p. 243). The Habsburg state could be oppressive and progressive as well as constructive and ruinous. What responsibility does the Habsburg Monarchy bear for the subsequent cycles of violence? How did violence relate and fit with the multi-ethnic, cosmopolitan Imperial umbrella rule encompassing diverse communities? It would have been instructive to read Carmichael’s opinions on these historiographical questions. For a book about a specific place and time, there are surprisingly few concrete details. There is no population table (neither overall nor for the different religions and languages) or street layout or garrison building plans or schedule of typical military routines or list of prominent local leaders (or even leaders of the garrison). Carmichael’s book is an evocation of the sentiments, experiences, and emotions in a small border garrison town at the edge of the Habsburg Empire.
