Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein (1773–1859,) also known as Prince Metternich, was an Austrian statesman and diplomat who shaped European politics in the early 19th century. Renowned for his diplomacy and conservative views, he was instrumental in establishing the post-Napoleonic order.
Born in Koblenz, Metternich came from an aristocratic family and studied law at the University of Strasbourg and the University of Heidelberg. His diplomatic career began in Vienna, where he quickly gained recognition for his intelligence and strategic thinking.
As Foreign Minister of Austria (1809–48,) he was the chief negotiator at the Congress of Vienna (1814–15,) which sought to restore European stability after the Napoleonic Wars. His policies emphasized monarchy restoration, suppression of revolutionary movements, and alliances among European powers, leading to the creation of the Concert of Europe, which maintained relative peace for decades.
Metternich’s influence extended beyond diplomacy. His Memoirs (published posthumously in 1880) provide insight into his political strategies. Notable biographies include Wolfram Siemann and Daniel Steuer’s Metternich: Strategist and Visionary (2023) and Metternich: Creating the European Alliance (2021.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich
Any plan conceived in moderation must fail when the circumstances are set in extremes.
—Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich
Topics: Moderation
Stability is not immobility.
—Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich
Topics: Security
It is useless to close the gates against ideas; they overleap them.
—Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich
The men who make history have not time to write it.
—Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich
Topics: Historians, History
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