THE METTERNICH SYSTEM
What was the Metternich System?
- Was designed to maintain the rule of absolute monarchy in the
Austrian empire
- It was the continuation of similar political systems in other
european states
- Metternich was deeply suspicious of the ideas of liberty and
equality, describing such ideas as sources of evil
- He believed that the empire was fragile to ideas of liberty and
equality and had feared that if Germans, or other members of
other nationalities were allowed their independence, the empire
might collapse
- He resorted to the use of repressive methods such as press
censorship
- He also created a network of secret agents who spied on political
radicals & intercepted their correspondence
- The metternich system kept the peace in europe but at a cost as it
accumulated the resentment from the people under its rule
THE GERMAN CONFEDERATION
- Metternich’s solution was to reorganised Germany into a
confederation (Bund) of 39 states under the control of Austria
- Consisted of various states (kingdoms such as Bavaria & self
governing city states eg. Hamburg)
- Also contained non German eg. french speaking people in
Luxembourg
- Was not a united Germany but rather it was intended to avoid the
development of nationalism
, Structure
1. DIETS
- A conference of ambassadors from the member states
- Met at Frankfurt
- Controlled foreign policies of the member states
- But each individual ruler continued to manage its internal affairs
Domination of Austria
- Was designed to maintain Austria’s power over the German states
- Was always chaired by Austrian representatives
- Austrians could veto over any attempt to change the constitution
- Were supported by the southern states (Wurtembourrg,Bavaria,
Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt) in a vote
- This was because these states were in close proximity to each
other, had a predominantly catholic population (so as Austria) &
were culturally more sympathetic over Austria than to northern
Protestant, Prussia.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1848-49 REVOLUTION
LONG TERM SHORT TERM
1. Monarchial states need to 1. Failure of Frankfurt
compromise/modernise ✅ Parliament ✅
2. Economic developments and 2. Feudalism removed
Prussia recovery 3. Parliamentary Government in
3. Austrian economic and financial Prussia✅
problems ✅ 4. Revolution crushed ✅
4. Austro-Prussian rivalry ✅ 5. Overthrow of metternich ✅
, 6. Austrian recovery ✅
Humiliation of Olmutz 1850 ✅
YEAR EVENT BRIEF DETAILS
1806 NAPOLEON The Holy Roman Empire
ENDS THE - Name given to the lands of central europe that owed allegiance
HOLY to an overall emperor
ROMAN - Little way for a central govt
EMPIRE - Emperor had been the rulers of Austria ( the Habsburg royal
family)
1813 WAR OF The Battle of Leipzig
LIBERATIO - Destruction of french powers in Poland and Germany
N - Many germans fought in rather than against Napoleon’s armies
- Was mainly fought Prussian troops
- Acted as an inspiration for student nationalist movement after
1814
FREIKORPS
- Student volunteers were formed into a company of volunteers
- This was by Prussian officer (Adolf von Lutzow)
- Were called the Frei Korps/The Black Troopers
- Acted as shock troops in the struggle against the french in the
war of liberation
- However, they were not numerically significant in the battle
because the battle was mainly fought by regular prussian
soldiers
1815 THE After the Napoleonic Wars
, DOWNFALL - Napoleon I was defeated at the battle of Waterloo and was
OF exiled to the island of St Helena
NAPOLEON
TREATY OF - Reorganised Europe after the Napoleonic Wars.
VIENNA - It began in September 1814 (five months after Napoleon I’s first
- Vienna abdication)
the - Completed its “Final Act” in June 1815, shortly before the
capital Waterloo campaign and the final defeat of Napoleon.
of
Austria
GERMAN - Organisation of 39 German states, established by the Congress
CONFEDER of Vienna in 1815
ATION - replaced the destroyed Holy Roman Empire.
FORMED - Dominated by Austria
- Adopted constitutions and elected diets
- Powers of these assemblies was very limited
- Only in southern german state of Baden was there a very
liberal constitution
1819 CARLSBAD - Metternich called representatives of larger German states
DECREES together at Carlsbad (czech republic)
- to take advantage of the consternation caused by recent
revolutionary outrages
- especially the murder of the dramatist August Kotzebue by
Karl Sand, a member of a radical student organisation
- to persuade the German governments to combine for the
suppression of liberal and nationalistic tendencies within their
states.
1832 HAMBACH - The festival promoted nationalism
FESTIVAL - Those attending consisted of
1. 29 academics
What was the Metternich System?
- Was designed to maintain the rule of absolute monarchy in the
Austrian empire
- It was the continuation of similar political systems in other
european states
- Metternich was deeply suspicious of the ideas of liberty and
equality, describing such ideas as sources of evil
- He believed that the empire was fragile to ideas of liberty and
equality and had feared that if Germans, or other members of
other nationalities were allowed their independence, the empire
might collapse
- He resorted to the use of repressive methods such as press
censorship
- He also created a network of secret agents who spied on political
radicals & intercepted their correspondence
- The metternich system kept the peace in europe but at a cost as it
accumulated the resentment from the people under its rule
THE GERMAN CONFEDERATION
- Metternich’s solution was to reorganised Germany into a
confederation (Bund) of 39 states under the control of Austria
- Consisted of various states (kingdoms such as Bavaria & self
governing city states eg. Hamburg)
- Also contained non German eg. french speaking people in
Luxembourg
- Was not a united Germany but rather it was intended to avoid the
development of nationalism
, Structure
1. DIETS
- A conference of ambassadors from the member states
- Met at Frankfurt
- Controlled foreign policies of the member states
- But each individual ruler continued to manage its internal affairs
Domination of Austria
- Was designed to maintain Austria’s power over the German states
- Was always chaired by Austrian representatives
- Austrians could veto over any attempt to change the constitution
- Were supported by the southern states (Wurtembourrg,Bavaria,
Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt) in a vote
- This was because these states were in close proximity to each
other, had a predominantly catholic population (so as Austria) &
were culturally more sympathetic over Austria than to northern
Protestant, Prussia.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1848-49 REVOLUTION
LONG TERM SHORT TERM
1. Monarchial states need to 1. Failure of Frankfurt
compromise/modernise ✅ Parliament ✅
2. Economic developments and 2. Feudalism removed
Prussia recovery 3. Parliamentary Government in
3. Austrian economic and financial Prussia✅
problems ✅ 4. Revolution crushed ✅
4. Austro-Prussian rivalry ✅ 5. Overthrow of metternich ✅
, 6. Austrian recovery ✅
Humiliation of Olmutz 1850 ✅
YEAR EVENT BRIEF DETAILS
1806 NAPOLEON The Holy Roman Empire
ENDS THE - Name given to the lands of central europe that owed allegiance
HOLY to an overall emperor
ROMAN - Little way for a central govt
EMPIRE - Emperor had been the rulers of Austria ( the Habsburg royal
family)
1813 WAR OF The Battle of Leipzig
LIBERATIO - Destruction of french powers in Poland and Germany
N - Many germans fought in rather than against Napoleon’s armies
- Was mainly fought Prussian troops
- Acted as an inspiration for student nationalist movement after
1814
FREIKORPS
- Student volunteers were formed into a company of volunteers
- This was by Prussian officer (Adolf von Lutzow)
- Were called the Frei Korps/The Black Troopers
- Acted as shock troops in the struggle against the french in the
war of liberation
- However, they were not numerically significant in the battle
because the battle was mainly fought by regular prussian
soldiers
1815 THE After the Napoleonic Wars
, DOWNFALL - Napoleon I was defeated at the battle of Waterloo and was
OF exiled to the island of St Helena
NAPOLEON
TREATY OF - Reorganised Europe after the Napoleonic Wars.
VIENNA - It began in September 1814 (five months after Napoleon I’s first
- Vienna abdication)
the - Completed its “Final Act” in June 1815, shortly before the
capital Waterloo campaign and the final defeat of Napoleon.
of
Austria
GERMAN - Organisation of 39 German states, established by the Congress
CONFEDER of Vienna in 1815
ATION - replaced the destroyed Holy Roman Empire.
FORMED - Dominated by Austria
- Adopted constitutions and elected diets
- Powers of these assemblies was very limited
- Only in southern german state of Baden was there a very
liberal constitution
1819 CARLSBAD - Metternich called representatives of larger German states
DECREES together at Carlsbad (czech republic)
- to take advantage of the consternation caused by recent
revolutionary outrages
- especially the murder of the dramatist August Kotzebue by
Karl Sand, a member of a radical student organisation
- to persuade the German governments to combine for the
suppression of liberal and nationalistic tendencies within their
states.
1832 HAMBACH - The festival promoted nationalism
FESTIVAL - Those attending consisted of
1. 29 academics
