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The Biedermeier period (1815–1848) followed the Congress of Vienna, a time when Austria, led by Prince Metternich, focused on stability, censorship, and suppressing nationalist and liberal movements. This era, also known as the "Age of Metternich" or Vormärz, saw Metternich use an extensive network of surveillance and state police to silence opposition, pushing dissenters underground or into exile. Despite Metternich’s control, Europe was undergoing massive social and economic changes, with industrialization beginning to impact Austria's urban areas and social structures.
Europe after the Congress of Vienna. © Alexander Altenhof
Metternich’s foreign policy efforts emphasized conservative alliances and support for the established order. Austria was part of the "Congress System" of regular meetings among European powers, designed to maintain peace and stability. However, cracks in this alliance appeared as nationalist uprisings began reshaping Europe. Independence movements in South America, the liberal revolts in Portugal and Spain, and the independence of Belgium from the Netherlands weakened Austria’s grip on Europe. Metternich had some success containing German nationalism, passing the Carlsbad Decrees in 1819 to restrict free speech across the German Confederation, which Metternich hoped would diffuse nationalist fervor.
Nationalist aspirations within Austria's own territories also began to rise, notably in Italy, where groups like the Carbonari aimed for independence. Austria, a multinational empire, struggled with these pressures, especially in culturally distinct areas like Lombardy, Venetia, Galicia, and Bohemia, where local identities began to push against Habsburg control.
Meanwhile, Austria’s economy lagged behind its European counterparts. While state intervention was minimal, certain developments like the establishment of the National Bank in 1816 and the construction of the Austrian Southern Railway in the 1830s indicated gradual modernization. Urbanization began, creating a new urban working class, but overall economic growth was slow, unable to match the rate of population increase. Taxes remained uneven, with the aristocracy and Hungary contributing little, which kept the military budget relatively low and limited Metternich’s foreign policy.
Under Francis I and his successor Ferdinand I, Austria resisted reform. While Francis kept a firm hold on power, Ferdinand’s poor health meant effective governance rested with Metternich and Archduke Louis. The empire remained politically stagnant, with Metternich’s conservative approach increasingly at odds with the rising currents of nationalism and liberalism, setting the stage for the revolutionary upheaval of 1848.