AN A319 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED A CRACKED AND SHATTERED WINDSHIELD IN CRUISE. EMER DECLARED AND DIVERTED TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

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WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL380; A SMALL CRACK APPEARED IN THE CTR/LOWER EDGE OF THE CAPT'S FORWARD WINDSHIELD. I HAD ASKED THE FO TO TAKE OUT HIS FLT MANUAL AND LOOK UP INFO REGARDING A CRACKED WINDSHIELD. APPROX 1 MIN LATER; MY FORWARD WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. WE BOTH DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS. I XFERRED CTL TO THE FO; DECLARED AN EMER WITH ARTCC AND MADE A SLOW SPD EMER DSCNT TO 11000 FT MSL. WE WERE ONLY APPROX 40 MILES FROM ZZZ AND CHOSE TO DIVERT THERE. DURING THE DSCNT; THE CABIN PRESSURE DECREASED NORMALLY AND THE WINDSHIELD REMAINED INTACT. A CABIN ADVISORY WAS MADE TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AS TO THE REASON FOR OUR EMER DSCNT AND THAT WE PLANNED TO MAKE A NORMAL LNDG AT ZZZ IN ABOUT 15 MINS. DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED THROUGH ACARS OF OUR SITUATION AND OUR INTENT TO DIVERT TO ZZZ. WE CONTACTED COMPANY OPS AT ZZZ BY RADIO AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR MECHANICAL DIVERSION AND OUR ETA. OPS ACKNOWLEDGED AND ARRANGED AN ARR GATE FOR US. I DIRECTED THE FO TO FLY THE ACFT FOR APCH AND LNDG BECAUSE THE VISIBILITY THROUGH MY SHATTERED FORWARD WINDSHIELD WAS SEVERELY DEGRADED. THE APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING TAXI IN; I ASKED THE FO TO TAXI THE ACFT BECAUSE MY WINDSHIELD WAS NOW BOTH SHATTERED AND FOGGED OVER. BEFORE APCHING THE GATE; I TESTED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TO SEE IF THE WINDSHIELD COULD BE DEFOGGED. THE WIPER WORKED WELL ENOUGH TO DEFOG THE WINDSHIELD AND I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PARK THE ACFT AT THE GATE.