Customer Reviews

Metternich

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The strong point of this book is the maps showing the extent of the Hapsburg Empire during Metternich's tenure as Chancellor of the Austrian confederation.Metternich himself doesn't emerge from this book as anything more or less than what a brief paragraph in a digest might say.A mediocre,unimaginative,figure who failed to respect the rise of a European middle class and instead tried to maintain a Hapsburgian paternalistic type government with light sprinkles of reform.As you read about Metternich's repressions remember that there is a "body count" here everytime the author uses the word"repressive measures".As far as having a vision of a united Germany,Metternich pretty much sticks to the European "soft center" theory.He believed that there were far too many ethnic groups for a strong German state and that these divisions were good for the Hapsburg Monarchy.Metternich believed the monarchy could play the different minorities to the benefit of the Hapsburgs and that Austria should control the "soft center".If only Austria had a statesman on the level of a Bismarck.As it was Austria didn't,but still believed itself the ruler of the European "soft center".The Austro-Prussian war of 1866 lasted a few months and Austria was finally forced to admit how far behind they had fallen.Metternich's concessions to labor and the new rising middle class were given grudgingly and stingy,like Ebenezer Scrooge.I don't believe he ever lost any sleep over any of it though,but hid rather well in his philosophers' toga,alot of his comments reflecting deep thought.Really cold though.