Klemens von Metternich

Klemens von Metternich was a conservative Austrian statesman and diplomat who played a key role in shaping the European politics in the early 19th century. He was born into a noble family and received a good education at the universities of Strasbourg and Mainz. He began his diplomatic career as an envoy to Saxony, Prussia, and France, where he witnessed the turmoil of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon. He became the foreign minister of Austria in 1809 and soon established himself as a skillful negotiator and a staunch opponent of Napoleon. He helped form the coalition that defeated Napoleon in 1813 and 1814, and was the host and chief architect of the Congress of Vienna, which redrew the map of Europe and established a balance of power among the major states. He also initiated the Concert of Europe, a system of periodic meetings and consultations among the great powers to preserve peace and stability. He was appointed as the chancellor of Austria in 1821 and continued to serve as the foreign minister until 1848. He was a leading exponent of conservatism and absolutism, and resisted any liberal or nationalist movements that threatened the status quo. He suppressed the revolutions in Italy and Germany in 1830 and 1831, and supported the Ottoman Empire against Russia in 1833. He also maintained good relations with Britain and France, despite their differences over colonial issues. He was forced to resign in 1848, when a wave of revolutions swept across Europe and challenged his reactionary policies. He spent some years in exile in London, Brighton, and Brussels, before returning to Vienna in 1851. He died in 1859 at the age of 86, having outlived his generation of politicians. He is regarded as one of the most influential diplomats of his era and a mastermind of European order.