The Metternich System
Klemons von Metternich organized an international
system that “turn back the clock” and restored much
of the Old Regime.
Congress of Vienna
 Victorious nations and reps from France met to restore Europe: Britain’s Duke of Wellington,
Russia’s Czar Alexander I, Prussia’s King Frederick William III, France’s Prince Talleyrand, Austia’s
Prince Klemons von Metternich
 Metternich, chief minister of Austria, dominated the meeting
 Metternich directed the Congress toward restoring the Old Regime
 Principle of Legitimacy: The rightful rulers, deposed by the revolution or Napoleon,
were restored to power.
 Principal of Compensation: Nations that made important contributions to
Napoleon’s defeat were repaid with territory
 Denial of Political Liberalism: hereditary rulers as absolute monarchs restored,
 In France, the restored Bourbon’s granted limited suffrage, legal equality, and freedom of speech
and press.
 Denial of Nationalism: Many national groups were denied independence
 Belgians, Poles, and others were handed over to foreign governments
 Germans and Italians remained disunited
Metternich Policies
 Chief minister of the multinational Austrian Empire, Metternich devoted a lot of time,
energy, and resources to upholding the Vienna settlement.
 Because he sought to “turn back the clock” to Old Regime conditions, the Age of
Metternich is also called the Age of Reaction.
 A reactionary wishes to return to a previous condition
 A conservative wishes to maintain existing conditions
 A liberal wishes to make moderate changes gradually
 A radical wishes to make basic changes quickly
 To enforce his reactionary views, Metternich employed the censorship of speech and press,
secret police, and arbitrary arrest in the Austria Empire
 In 1815 Metternich organized the Quadruple Alliance of Austria, Prussia, Russia, and
Britain for the purpose of enforcing the Vienna settlement and suppression of revolutions.
 This cooperation among the nations was called the Concert of Europe.
 In 1818 France became a member and by 1820 Britain had left
 In 1815 Russia’s Czar Alexander I organized the ineffective Holy Alliance
 Members pledge to rule by Christian principles