Metternich resigns as State Chancellor and Foreign Minister of the Austrian Empire

Background. Metternich served as Austrian foreign minister from 1809 and as Chancellor from 1821, standing at the center of the European balance of power known as the Concert of Europe for three decades. He rose to become the foremost conservative statesman in Europe, and his scrutiny lasted until 1848. The revolutions the Empire crushed to maintain his Concert of Europe left the empire nearly bankrupt and in continual need of soldiers, while critics in Vienna's coffeehouses, salons, and stages challenged his government, though before 1848 their demands had not extended to constitutionalism or freedom of assembly.

Political Paralysis. Metternich’s influence waned due to internal conflicts. In 1836, his failed attempt at constitutional reform forced him to share power with Kolowrat and Archduke Ludwig. The loss of his ally Count Karl von Clam-Martinic in 1840 furthered the growing paralysis at the heart of the Austrian government, weakening his position before the 1848 crisis.

Resignation. The Revolutions of 1848 forced Metternich's resignation from his offices. He had held the post of Chancellor of State from 1821 until 1848, serving under both Francis I and his son Ferdinand I, and had been Austrian foreign minister from 1809 and chancellor from 1821. His resignation ended the tenure through which he had been at the center of the Concert of Europe for three decades.

Aftermath. Metternich's scrutiny ended in 1848, when the revolutions forced his resignation. In May 1851 he left for his Johannisberg estate, which he had last visited in 1845. The events of 1848 were the product of mounting social and political tensions after the Congress of Vienna of 1815, tensions that had built through the period of his dominance.