Metternich's Masterful Unification Of Austria

Klemens von Metternich was the leading statesman of the Habsburg Empire and chief strategist of the forces hostile to reform. He rejected the teachings of liberalism and nationalism and, under his leadership, Austria was able to keep popular demand for liberalism and unification suppressed. Metternich persuaded the German states to agree to the suppression of liberal and nationalist expression, and in September 1819, the Carlsbad Decrees were introduced. In the end, Metternich's efforts were unsuccessful, as the Frankfurt parliament was unable to unify Germany.

Suppression of student groups

Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, the chief strategist of the forces hostile to reform, rejected the teachings of liberalism and nationalism. As the leading statesman of the Habsburg empire, he recognised that the establishment of centralised authority in Germany (which still included Austria) would seriously impede the policies his government was pursuing in Hungary, Italy, and the Balkans.

Under his leadership, the Austrians were able to keep popular demand for liberalism and unification suppressed. In particular, student groups were suppressed. Nationalistic student societies, Burschenschaften, had grown in size and strength since the first group was founded in 1815. The actions of some Burschenschaften had grown increasingly violent. In 1817, an effigy of Metternich was burned in Wartburg. In March 1819, an unbalanced student, Karl Ludwig Sand, assassinated the conservative playwright and publicist August von Kotzebue. Vienna persuaded the princes of the German Confederation that they were facing a dangerous attempt to overthrow the established order in the German states.

In response, the German Confederation met at Carlsbad and introduced the Carlsbad Decrees in September 1819. These allowed states to suppress liberal and nationalist expression.

Rejection of liberalism and nationalism

Klemens Wenzel von Metternich was the chief strategist of the forces hostile to reform. He rejected the teachings of liberalism and nationalism in principle, and as the leading statesman of the Habsburg empire, he recognised that the establishment of centralised authority in Germany (which still included Austria) would seriously impede the policies his government was pursuing in Hungary, Italy, and the Balkans. Metternich persuaded the German states to agree to the suppression of liberal and nationalist expression. Under his leadership, the Austrians were able to keep popular demand for liberalism and unification suppressed. In particular, student groups were suppressed. Nationalistic student societies, Burschenschaften, had grown in size and strength since the first group was founded in 1815. The actions of some Burschenschaften had grown increasingly violent. In 1817, an effigy of Metternich was burned in Wartburg. In March 1819, a German writer working for the Russian Tsar was assassinated by a student. In response, the German Confederation met at Carlsbad. In September 1819, the Carlsbad Decrees were introduced, allowing states to suppress liberal and nationalist expression.

Austria's war with France

Klemens von Metternich was the leading statesman of the Habsburg Empire and chief strategist of the forces hostile to reform. He rejected the teachings of liberalism and nationalism and recognised that the establishment of centralised authority in Germany would impede the policies his government was pursuing in Hungary, Italy, and the Balkans. Metternich persuaded the German states to agree to the suppression of liberal and nationalist expression.

In 1819, Metternich began to prepare Austria for war with France. He left Vienna to personally handle negotiations at Gitschin in Bohemia, where he began an affair with Princess Wilhelmine, Duchess of Sagan. The armistice provided Austria with time for full mobilisation.

Austria's influence in Hungary, Italy and the Balkans

Austria occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina as a way of gaining power in the Balkans. Serbia, Montenegro and Romania became fully independent. Nonetheless, the Balkans remained a site of political unrest with teeming ambition for independence and great power rivalries.

In Italy, the Dual Monarchy turned to the country after being forced out of Germany.

In Hungary, tensions were particularly strong between the Hungarians and the Croats. The Austrians responded to Hungarian support of the Czechs by supporting the Croatian national movement in Zagreb.

Austria's rejection of unification with Germany

Klemens Wenzel von Metternich was the chief strategist of the forces hostile to reform. He rejected the teachings of liberalism and nationalism and, as the leading statesman of the Habsburg empire, he recognised that the establishment of centralised authority in Germany (which still included Austria) would impede the policies his government was pursuing in Hungary, Italy, and the Balkans.

Under Metternich's leadership, the Austrians kept popular demand for liberalism and unification suppressed. Nationalistic student societies, Burschenschaften, had grown in size and strength since the first group was founded in 1815. The actions of some Burschenschaften had grown increasingly violent. In 1817 an effigy of Metternich was burned in Wartburg. In March 1819, a German writer working for the Russian Tsar was assassinated by a student. In response, the German Confederation met at Carlsbad and Metternich persuaded the German states to agree to the suppression of liberal and nationalist expression.

In October 1848, delegates agreed to invite the Austrian German lands to become part of the new Germany, but only if they were disconnected from non-German territory. This was a victory for the Kleindeutsch supporters, who knew that the Austrian government would reject the invitation because it would never willfully break the monarchy apart. In the end, neither position prevailed, because the Frankfurt parliament was unable to unify Germany.

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