Klemons von Metternich organized an international system that “turn

back the clock” and restored much of the Old Regime.

The Metternich System

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 meetingMetternich 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

independenceBelgians, Poles, and others were handed over to foreign

governmentsGermans 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 conditionA conservative wishes to maintain existing conditionsA liberal wishes to make moderate changes graduallyA 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 AllianceMembers pledge to rule by Christian principles