The situation of the Austrian hinterland during World War I has found increased academic and public interest in recent years, which was also reflected in the numerous regional exhibitions and publications dedicated to the 2014 centennial. In Styria, Martin Moll's book as well as Helmut Konrad's and Nicole Goll's exhibition “Die Steiermark und der ‘Große Krieg’” focused exclusively on the hinterland.

Moll, one of Styria's most distinguished World War I historians, without doubt succeeds in his goal to “address a broader audience” with a volume that is “equally compact and readable” (10). The 180-page text is easily understandable for nonhistorians, appealingly illustrated, and complemented by a section of color images. Despite targeting the wider public, the author makes ample use of references, meeting the standards of academic readers (sixty-five pages of references and bibliography). Although these references document Moll's meticulous research in various archives, the broader audience, eager for further knowledge, might have also appreciated more frequent citations of other published studies.

The structure of twenty-six chapters, whose lengths greatly range from one to more than thirty pages, invites readers to browse and pick according to their primary interests, before delving further into this informative volume. Moll successfully manages the balancing act between chronology and thematic structure by putting chronological foci at the beginning and end of the book and the thematic topics in the middle. Thus, rather than remaining isolated bits, the chapters build upon one another to create a comprehensive picture of World War I in Styria.

Moll offers a concise overview of the Crownland of Styria before 1914 (15–32), which focuses on its German and Slovene nationalities, the administration, and the political landscape, but excludes economics. Four minichapters (33–43), which probably could have been combined, concisely illustrate the road to war from a Styrian perspective. Next, Moll draws a lively picture of the first weeks of war, which were dominated by hysteria (44–53) rather than euphoria, and the omnipresent fear of espionage and traitors that resulted in far-fetched accusations. In particular, a wave of detainment against the Slovene population led to a lasting estrangement of the two ethnicities (54–55, 147–54).

Three overarching topics dominate the body of the volume (56–146): first, the challenge to provide for large numbers of “unwanted new residents” (i.e., wounded and sick soldiers, refugees, internees, and prisoners of war); second, the desperate attempts to fight everyday shortages, particularly of the precarious food supplies; and third, the development of the Styrian ore mining and steel industries, and the conditions of the workers.

Military control over industries and workers not only demonstrates the harsh reality of the term “home front,” but also counters the popular conceptions of the monarchy's steady decline. After an initial drop in 1914, Styrian war industries rose to record highs until 1915/16, before virtually collapsing in 1917/18. Moll reports in great detail on the measures “from above” to take control of the existing resources in all areas and the difficulties this caused. He offers deep insights into the administration's creativity for improving the efficient use of resources as well as its search for new solutions, which often led to complicated, lengthy instructions. For example, in 1916 teachers and pupils were urged to collect cockchafers and other beetles as fodder, as long as the dried beetles did not exceed a water content of 15% (108). Both the author and reader are left wondering “whether the efforts that were necessary for the implementation of the countless measures stood in a reasonable relation to the benefit that could be expected” (100).

The common thread running through the book is how, in light of omnipresent deprivation, solidarity rapidly eroded between native Styrians and displaced Galicians, workers and the military, the urban and rural populations, and between German and Slovene populations, to name but a few lines of conflict. Corresponding to the book's initial focus on the developments in 1914, the closing chapters (155–73) concentrate on the collapse at the end of the war, political upheaval, and the partition of the province.

Despite its focus on the hinterland, the book's subtitle Der Kampf des Hinterlandes ums Überleben is slightly misleading, as it suggests a focus on the population “below” rather than on the administration “above.” Considering the home front is still such a fruitful field for research, Moll's chosen approach of history “from above” undoubtedly has its place and improves our understanding of the war, even without his exaggerated claim that history “from below” has already been amply told and can be reduced to suffering, hunger, and longing for peace (11). His volume could, for example, instigate challenging and thrilling research on the population's reaction to the multitude of governmental appeals. Considering the focus on administration and survival, it is surprising that the topic of war relief does not constitute a chapter; instead, it is dealt with somewhat scantly as part of the war economy (56–61) and without reference to recent research. After all, war relief was a vital instrument of the administration, to secure the population's (financial) survival, endurance, and loyalty. Similarly, the author explicitly sidesteps the subjects of culture and propaganda (12). This omission leaves notable gaps: a discussion of the general mindset, as well as the administration's explanatory patterns and efforts to control public opinion, would have helped the reader not only to “wonder” (138) but also to better understand why the population endured dire conditions for such a long time.

In the end, such a volume cannot fulfill the ambitious goal to address “all aspects that were relevant for the lives and survival of the people” (12). Nevertheless, Moll has produced a readable and informative book. My only regret is that it was not longer and more comprehensive.