Klemens von Metternich

Metternich hosted and dominated the Congress of Vienna, which redrew the map of Europe after Napoleon's defeat. He established a conservative order based on legitimacy, balance of power, and suppression of liberal nationalism.

Metternich helped create the Holy Alliance between Austria, Prussia, and Russia. This alliance committed the monarchs to rule according to Christian principles and became a tool for suppressing revolutions across Europe.

Metternich orchestrated the Carlsbad Decrees, a set of repressive measures in the German Confederation. They imposed censorship, dissolved student fraternities, and placed universities under surveillance to suppress liberal and nationalist ideas.

Metternich convened the Congress of Troppau, which issued the Troppau Protocol. This declared the right of great powers to intervene militarily in states threatened by revolution, justifying Austrian intervention in Italy.

The outbreak of revolutions in Vienna forced Metternich to resign and flee to England. His conservative system collapsed as liberal and nationalist uprisings swept across Europe, ending his 39-year dominance of Austrian politics.