metternich
Prince Klemens von Metternich was the chief minister of the Austrian Empire and the leading conservative statesman in European politics from 1815 to 1848. He was the principal architect of the "Concert of Europe," the alliance of great powers that sought to maintain the the pillars of the old regime--monarchy, aristocracy, church, and privilege--against the forces of liberalism and nationalism. As minister of a German-led multi-national empire, Metternich had reason to fear nationalism as much as liberalism (which in any case tended to go hand in hand in the first half of the nineteenth century). Nationalists within the Austrian Empire threatened to establish small autonomous nation-states, thus ripping apart the empire, while German nationalists sought to unite the decentralized German states, thus jeopardizing Austria's status as the major power (along with Prussia) in German affairs.
Questions
1. What were the "false systems," the "errors," and the "evils" to which Metternich refers in paragraphs 4 and 5?
2. What were the principal causes of the collapse of legitimate in the face of revolution?
3. Which type of government does he have in mind when he refers to governments that are "still free" in paragraph 10?
4. What role is a monarch to play in government?
5. What action is to be taken to prevent the "revolutionary seed" from erupting once again?
The Source of the Evil
[1] Man's nature is immutable. The first needs of society are and remain the same, and the differences which they seem to offer find their explanation in the diversity of influences, acting on the different races by natural causes, such as the diversity of climate, barrenness or richness of soil, insular or continental position, &c. &c. These local differences no doubt produce effects which extend far beyond purely physical necessities; they create and determine particular needs in a more elevated sphere; finally, they determine the laws, and exercise an influence even on religions.
Questions
1. What were the "false systems," the "errors," and the "evils" to which Metternich refers in paragraphs 4 and 5?
2. What were the principal causes of the collapse of legitimate in the face of revolution?
3. Which type of government does he have in mind when he refers to governments that are "still free" in paragraph 10?
4. What role is a monarch to play in government?
5. What action is to be taken to prevent the "revolutionary seed" from erupting once again?
The Source of the Evil
[1] Man's nature is immutable. The first needs of society are and remain the same, and the differences which they seem to offer find their explanation in the diversity of influences, acting on the different races by natural causes, such as the diversity of climate, barrenness or richness of soil, insular or continental position, &c. &c. These local differences no doubt produce effects which extend far beyond purely physical necessities; they create and determine particular needs in a more elevated sphere; finally, they determine the laws, and exercise an influence even on religions.