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Lot Essay
The arms are those of Prince Clemens Lothar Wenzel Metternich.
Prince Metternich was probably one of the leading statesmen among the men who set themselves the task to reorganize Europe at the fall of the Napoleonic empire. Austrian foreign minister to Emperor Francis I since 1809 and influential political theorist, Metternich conducted foreign policy for almost forty years, until the outbreak of the Revolution of 1848. In line with his unrelenting efforts to consolidate the Hapsburg dynasty's political position among the great powers, Metternich successfully convinced Francis to agree to Napoleon's request to marry his eldest daughter, Marie-Louise. The wedding was celebrated in 1810. Paradoxically, Napoleon's abdication in March 1814, despite the political ties uniting France and Austria, offered a second opportunity for Metternich to play an instrumental role on the European diplomatic scene. By establishing a common conservative platform acceptable to all the powers involved in the reconstruction of a new political order, Metternich, chairman of the Congress of Vienna, restored the balance of powers in Europe. In a time of nationalism and civil unrest, the Holy Alliance, also known as the Quintuple Alliance, uniting Austria, Prussia, Britain, Russia, and France, epitomized Metternich's vision of European cooperation, unity, and order.
While Metternich's influence on Austrian history is currently being reassessed, particularly his involvment in interior affairs, his achievement in putting Vienna at the center of the world and making the Congress one of the highlights of Austria's past remains undeniable.
Prince Metternich was probably one of the leading statesmen among the men who set themselves the task to reorganize Europe at the fall of the Napoleonic empire. Austrian foreign minister to Emperor Francis I since 1809 and influential political theorist, Metternich conducted foreign policy for almost forty years, until the outbreak of the Revolution of 1848. In line with his unrelenting efforts to consolidate the Hapsburg dynasty's political position among the great powers, Metternich successfully convinced Francis to agree to Napoleon's request to marry his eldest daughter, Marie-Louise. The wedding was celebrated in 1810. Paradoxically, Napoleon's abdication in March 1814, despite the political ties uniting France and Austria, offered a second opportunity for Metternich to play an instrumental role on the European diplomatic scene. By establishing a common conservative platform acceptable to all the powers involved in the reconstruction of a new political order, Metternich, chairman of the Congress of Vienna, restored the balance of powers in Europe. In a time of nationalism and civil unrest, the Holy Alliance, also known as the Quintuple Alliance, uniting Austria, Prussia, Britain, Russia, and France, epitomized Metternich's vision of European cooperation, unity, and order.
While Metternich's influence on Austrian history is currently being reassessed, particularly his involvment in interior affairs, his achievement in putting Vienna at the center of the world and making the Congress one of the highlights of Austria's past remains undeniable.