Bank Runs and Financial Disclosure: The Dynamics of Political Populism, Financial Stability, and Transparency in the Habsburg Empire (Palgrave Studies in Economic History)

This book offers the first comparative analysis of politically motivated bank runs in Habsburg Austria, focusing on events in Vienna (1848), Prague (1903), and Ljubljana (1908/09).These episodes have received little attention outside narrow national historiographies.This project brings to light a broader pattern of financial instability driven by political populism and nationalist agitation, thereby filling a significant gap in both financial and historical literature. From the revolutionary upheaval of Vienna in 1848 to the nationalist flashpoints of Prague and Ljubljana in the early 20th century, the book traces how banks confronted waves of public panic by publishing increasingly detailed, sometimes daily, financial reports to stabilize public confidence.Drawing on a wealth of historical newspapers, financial publications, and archival material, the book reveals how these acts of transparency often fuelled controversy rather than calming it.In the absence of strong regulation, volun