Summer Skin

Kate Ritchie
World History
Mr. Ellement

Metternich

By the end of 1848 it was evident that Metternich’s ideology was becoming less

prominent and the achievements of the Congress of Vienna were being reversed.


Support and popularity for Klemens von Metternich’s conservative thoughts had

rapidly begun to decline in the eye of the public. The world around him was changing,

his believed perfect ideals such as the second Monarchy, his autocratic mentality and

destroying the middle class were discarded and ignored for new ideals such as

Nationalism and Liberalism. The Conservatives no longer had the enormous amount of

power that they previously possessed. Nationalism and Liberalism were beginning to

take over the political spectrum. The prospect of a Revolution was not appealing to

Metternich. He was one who thrived on stability and used the Congress of Vienna and

the Concert of Europe to help maintain the balance of power in Europe. However, with

talk of revolution and people’s thirst for equality, knowledge, freedom, and change his

ideals of monarchies and an autocracy were short lived. Metternich was seen as a

repressive figure in Austria and a series of small unsuccessful revolutions broke out. His

resignation on March 13th was celebrated by the people and he fled to England with his

wife.


Sources
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Klemens_von_Metternich
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10245a.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/klemens-wenzel-von-metternich