Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Klemens Wenzel von Metternich | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Prince Metternich by Sir Thomas Lawrence |
|
| Born | 15 May 1773 |
| Died | 11 June 1859 (aged 86) Vienna, Austria |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Education | University of Strasbourg |
| Known for | The Congress of Vienna, Minister of State, Conservatism, Concert of Europe |
| Religious beliefs | Catholic |
| Spouse(s) | Baroness Antoinette Leykam (m. 1827–1829) Countess Melanie Zichy-Ferraris (m. 1831–1854) |
| Children | Richard, Fürst von Metternich |
| Parents | Franz Georg Karl, Graf von Metternich-Winneburg and Countess Beatrix Kagenegg |
Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich (German: Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Fürst [1] von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein) (15 May 1773 – 11 June 1859) was a German-Austrian politician and statesman and was one of the most important diplomats of his era.[2] He was a major figure in the negotiations before and during the Congress of Vienna and is considered both a paradigm of foreign-policy management and a major figure in the development of diplomatic praxis. He was the archetypal practitioner of 19th-century diplomatic realism, being deeply rooted in the postulates of the balance of power. For generations, Metternich was castigated as a blind reactionary. After World War I, some historians suggested that one of the main reasons for his opposition to giving power to the people was his apprehension that it would eventually lead to the political dominance of German nationalism.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Kissinger's studies
Metternich has earned the admiration of succeeding generations for his brilliant management of foreign policy. Henry Kissinger idolized Metternich and studied him closely. He wrote his Harvard University Ph.D. dissertation, later published in 1957 under the title A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of the Peace 1812-1822, on the European negotiations towards the achievement of a balance of power after Waterloo, and praised Metternich's role in holding together the crumbling Austrian Empire. It should be noted that Kissinger's work has generated controversy in academic circles among such historians as Paul W. Schroeder, inter alia attracting criticism for the absence of footnotes.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Regarding personal names: Fürst is a title, translated as Prince, not a first or middle name. The female form is Fürstin.
- ^ In an English translation of the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814) his name and title are translated as Clement Wenceslas Lothaire, Prince of Metternich, Winebourg Sachsenhausen (Alphonse de Lamartine (translated by Michael Rafter). The History of the Restoration of Monarchy in France. H. G. Bohn, 1854 (New York Public Library). pp 201-207).
In the treaty of alliance of the 25th March 1815 concluded between Austria Russia Prussia and Great Britian—while he was the Austrian first plenipotentiary at the Congress of Vienna— he was styled Clement-Wenceslas Lothaire, Prince de Metternich-Winnebourg-Ochsenhausen, (British Foreign Office, British and foreign state papers Volume 2, H.M.S.O., 1839 p. 446).
[edit] See also
- Metternich's significant legacy in the evolution of modern European history is acknowledged by the selection of his image as the main motif on the 20-euro Biedermeier Period commemorative coin minted on June 11, 2003. The reverse of the coin shows his portrait with the map of Europe that was redrawn at the Congress of Vienna after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Age of Metternich
- Princess Pauline von Metternich
- A sparkling wine is named after him, Fürst von Metternich Riesling Sekt.
- Metternich Stele
[edit] Bibliography
- Palmer, A., Metternich: Councillor of Europe. London: Orion, 1997 ed.
- Kissinger, H., "A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of the Peace 1812-1822". London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999.
- Zamoyski, A. (2007) Rites of Peace. The fall of Napoleon & the Congress of Vienna.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume 15, Metternich, 1989
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich |
 |
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Metternich-Winneburg, Clemens Wenzel Lothar. |
- Metternich on censorship
- Fürst von Metternich sparkling wine
- Castle Kynžvart (Königswart) in Western Bohemia - Metternich's residence with collections, now open to the public
