Editing Klemens von Metternich (section)

===Détente with France===
Now back in Austria, Metternich witnessed first hand the Austrian army's defeat at the [[Battle of Wagram]] in 1809. Stadion tendered his resignation as Foreign Minister in the aftermath, and the emperor immediately offered the post to Metternich. Metternich, worried that Napoleon would seize on this to demand harsher peace terms, instead agreed to become a minister of state (which he did on 8 July) and to lead negotiations with the French on the understanding that he would replace Stadion as Foreign Minister at a later date.<ref name="palmer69">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=69–72}}</ref> During peace talks at [[Altenburg]], Metternich put forward pro-French proposals to save the Austrian monarchy. Napoleon, however, disliked his position on the future of [[Poland]], and Metternich was gradually displaced from the proceedings by [[Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein|Prince Liechtenstein]]. He soon regained influence, however, on 8 October, as Foreign Minister (and additionally that of [[Emperor of Austria#The Imperial House|Minister of the Imperial Household]]).<ref name="palmer69"/> In early 1810 Metternich's earlier affair with Junot became public but, because of Eleonore's understanding, the scandal was minimal.<ref name="palmer72"/>

[[File:Napoleon Marie Louise Marriage1.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.3|Metternich was influential in bringing about the marriage of Napoleon to Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria. ''[[The Wedding of Napoleon and Marie Louise]]'' by [[Georges Rouget]].]]

One of Metternich's first tasks was to push for the marriage of Napoleon to [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Archduchess Marie Louise]] rather than to the Tsar's youngest sister [[Anna Pavlovna of Russia|Anna Pavlovna]]. Metternich would later seek to distance himself from the marriage by claiming it was Napoleon's own idea, but this is improbable; in any case, he was happy to claim responsibility at the time.<ref name="palmer72">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=72–77}}</ref> By 7 February Napoleon had agreed and the pair were married by proxy on 11 March. Marie Louise left for France soon after and Metternich followed by a different route and unofficially. The trip was designed, Metternich explained, to transport his family (stranded in France by the outbreak of war) home and to report to the Austrian Emperor about Marie Louise's activities.<ref name="palmer72"/>

Instead, Metternich stayed six months, entrusting his office in Vienna to his father. He set about using the marriage, and flattery, to renegotiate the terms set out in the [[Treaty of Schönbrunn]]. The concessions he won were trivial, however: a few trading rights, delay in the payment of the war indemnity, restitution of some estates belonging to Germans in the Austrian service, including the Metternich family's, and the lifting of a 150,000-man limit on the Austrian army. The last was particularly welcomed as a sign of increased Austrian independence, although Austria could no longer afford an army greater than the limit prescribed.{{sfn|Palmer|1972|p=77}}

====As France's ally====

When Metternich returned to Vienna in October 1810, he was no longer as popular. His influence was limited to foreign affairs, and his attempts to get a full [[Council of State]] reintroduced had failed.<ref name="palmer72"/> Convinced that a much weakened Austria should avoid another invasion by France, he rejected the advances of Tsar Alexander and instead concluded [[Treaty of Paris (14 March 1812)|an alliance with Napoleon]] on 14 March 1812. He also supported a period of moderate censorship, aimed at preventing provocation of the French.<ref name="palmer78"/> Requiring that only 30,000 Austrian troops fight alongside the French,{{sfn|Cecil|1947|p=125}} the alliance treaty was more generous than the one Prussia had signed a month earlier; this allowed Metternich to give both Britain and Russia assurances that Austria remained committed to curbing Napoleonic ambitions. He accompanied his sovereign for a final meeting with Napoleon at Dresden in May 1812 before Napoleon embarked upon the [[French invasion of Russia]].<ref name="palmer78">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=78–86}}</ref>

The Dresden meeting revealed that Austria's influence in Europe had reached its lowest point, and Metternich was now bent on re-establishing that influence by using what he considered strong ties with all sides in the war, proposing general peace talks headed by Austria. Over the next three months, he would slowly distance Austria from the French cause, while avoiding alliance with either Prussia or Russia,<ref name="palmer86">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=86–92}}</ref> and remaining open to any proposal that would secure a place for the combined Bonaparte-Habsburg dynasty.<ref name="palmer86"/> This was driven by concern that if Napoleon were defeated, Russia and Prussia would stand to gain too much.<ref name="ford221">{{harvnb|Ford|1971|p=221}}</ref> Napoleon was intransigent, however, and the fighting (now officially the [[War of the Sixth Coalition]]) continued. Austria's alliance with France ended in February 1813, and Austria then moved to a position of armed neutrality.<ref name="palmer86"/>

====As a neutral====
[[File:Historia del Consulado y del Imperio, 1879 "Célebre entrevista de M. de Metternich con Napoleón - último reto del emperador". (4268283413).jpg|250px|thumb|right|The meeting between French emperor Napoleon I and Austrian diplomat Marquess Klemens von Metternich in the Marcolini Palace in Dresden on 26 June 1813]]

Metternich was much less keen on turning against France than many of his contemporaries (though not the Emperor), and he favoured his own plans for a general settlement. In November 1813 he offered Napoleon the [[Frankfurt proposals]], which would allow Napoleon to remain Emperor but would reduce France to its "natural frontiers" and undo its control of most of Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. Napoleon, victorious at the Battles of [[Battle of Lützen (1813)|Lutzen]] and [[Battle of Bautzen (1813)|Bautzen]], delayed too long and lost this opportunity; by December he had been defeated at the [[Battle of Leipzig]] and the Allies had withdrawn the offer. By early 1814, as they were closing in on Paris, Napoleon agreed to the Frankfurt proposals, too late, and he rejected the new, harsher terms then proposed.{{sfn|Riley|2013|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=beq3AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA206 206]}}{{sfn|Ross|1969|pp=341–44}}

Nevertheless, the Allies were not faring well, and although a statement of general war aims that included many nods to Austria was secured from Russia, Britain remained distrustful and generally unwilling to give up the military initiative she had fought 20 years to establish. Despite this, Francis created the Austrian Foreign Minister [[Grand-Chancellor of the Order of Maria Theresa]], a post which had been vacant since the time of Kaunitz.<ref name="palmer92">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=92–96}}</ref> Metternich increasingly worried that Napoleon's retreat would bring with it disorder that would harm the Habsburgs.<ref name="ford221"/><ref name="palmer92"/> A peace had to be concluded soon, he believed. Since Britain could not be coerced, he sent proposals to France and Russia only. These were rejected, though, after the battles of Battle of Lützen (2 May) and Battle of Bautzen (20–21 May), a French-initiated truce was called. Starting in April Metternich began to "slowly and reluctantly" prepare Austria for war with France; the armistice provided Austria time for fuller complete mobilisation.<ref name="palmer92"/>

In June, Metternich left Vienna to personally handle negotiations at [[Gitschin]] in Bohemia. When he arrived he benefitted from the hospitality of [[Princess Wilhelmine, Duchess of Sagan]] and began an affair with her that lasted several months. No other mistress ever achieved such influence over Metternich as Wilhelmine, and he would continue to write to her after their separation. Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister [[Hugues-Bernard Maret, duc de Bassano|Hugues-Bernard Maret]] remained elusive, though Metternich did manage to discuss the state of affairs with the Tsar on 18–19 June at [[Opočno (Louny District)|Opotschna]].<ref name="palmer96">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=96–102}}</ref> In talks which would later be ratified as the [[Treaties of Reichenbach (1813)|Reichenbach Convention]] they agreed on general peace demands<ref group="nb">, namely that [[Lübeck]] and [[Hamburg]] would return to being free cities, and more generally the end of direct French control over the [[Confederation of the Rhine]]; the return of annexed Prussian territory; the return of the [[Illyrian Provinces]] to Austria; and the dissolution of the French-dominated [[Grand Duchy of Warsaw]]{{harv|Palmer|1972|p=97}}.</ref> and set out a process by which Austria could enter the war on the Coalition side. Shortly afterwards Metternich was invited to join Napoleon at Dresden, where he could put the terms directly. Though no reliable record of their meeting on 26 June 1813 exists, it seems it was a stormy but effective meeting. The agreement was finally reached as Metternich was about to leave:<ref name="palmer96"/> peace talks would start in [[Prague]] in July and run until 20 August.<ref name="cecil134">{{harvnb|Cecil|1947|pp=134–135}}</ref> In agreeing to this Metternich had ignored the Reichenbach Convention, and this angered Austria's Coalition allies.<ref name="palmer96"/> The Conference of Prague would never properly meet since Napoleon gave his representatives [[Armand Caulaincourt]] and the [[Louis, comte de Narbonne-Lara|Count of Narbonne]] insufficient powers to negotiate.<ref name="cecil134"/> At the informal discussions held in lieu of the conference, Caulaincourt implied that Napoleon would not negotiate until an allied army threatened France itself. This convinced Metternich, and, after an ultimatum Metternich issued to France went unheeded, Austria declared war on 12 August.<ref name="palmer96"/>

====As a coalition partner====
[[File:Declaration of victory after the Battle of Leipzig, 1813 (by Johann Peter Krafft).jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Karl von Schwarzenberg and the three allied monarchs after the [[Battle of Leipzig]], 1813 (''[[The Declaration of Victory After the Battle of Leipzig]]'' by [[Johann Peter Krafft]])]]

Austria's allies saw the declaration as an admission that Austria's diplomatic ambitions had failed, but Metternich viewed it as one move in a much longer campaign.<ref name="palmer103">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=103–107}}</ref> For the rest of the war he strove to hold the Coalition together and, as such, to curb Russian momentum in Europe. To this end he won an early victory as an Austrian general, the [[Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg|Prince of Schwarzenberg]], was confirmed supreme commander of the Coalition forces rather than [[Tsar Alexander I]]. He also succeeded in getting the three allied monarchs (Alexander, Francis and Prussia's [[Frederick William III]]) to follow him and their armies on campaign. With the [[Treaty of Töplitz]], Metternich allowed Austria to remain uncommitted over the future of France, Italy, and Poland. He was still confined, however, by the British, who were subsidizing Prussia and Russia (in September Metternich requested subsidies for Austria as well).<ref name="palmer103"/> Meanwhile, the Coalition forces took the offensive.<ref name="palmer103"/> On 18 October 1813 Metternich witnessed the successful [[Battle of Leipzig]] and, two days later, he was rewarded for his "wise direction" with the rank of prince ({{langx|de|[[Fürst]]|links=no}}).<ref name="sauvignyxiii"/> Metternich was delighted when Frankfurt was retaken in early November and, in particular, by the deference the Tsar showed Francis at a ceremony organised there by Metternich. Diplomatically, with the war drawing to a close, he remained determined to prevent the creation of a strong, unified German state, even offering Napoleon generous terms in order to retain him as a counterweight. On 2 December 1813 Napoleon agreed to talk, though these talks were delayed by the need for the participation of a more senior British diplomat, ([[Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry|Viscount Castlereagh]]).<ref name="palmer103"/>

Before talks could begin, Coalition armies crossed the [[Rhine]] on 22 December. Metternich retired from Frankfurt to [[Breisgau]] to celebrate Christmas with his wife's family before travelling to the new Coalition headquarters at [[Basel]] in January 1814. Quarrels with Tsar Alexander, particularly over the fate of France<ref group="nb">At this time, the Russians favoured a new monarchy under [[Charles XIV John of Sweden|Jean Bernadotte]], while Austria favoured keeping the Bonaparte-Habsburg dynasty, if not under Napoleon himself {{harv|Palmer|1972|p=112}}.</ref> This rivalry intensified in January, prompting Alexander to storm out. He therefore missed the arrival of Castlereagh in mid-January.<ref name="palmer107">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=107–117}}</ref> Metternich and Castlereagh formed a good working relationship and then met with Alexander at [[Langres]]. The Tsar remained unaccommodating however, demanding a push into the centre of France; but he was too preoccupied to object to Metternich's other ideas, like a final peace conference in Vienna. Metternich did not attend talks with the French at [[Châtillon, Hauts-de-Seine|Châtillon]], as he wanted to stay with Alexander. The talks stalled, and, after a brief advance, Coalition forces had to retreat after the [[Battle of Montmirail]] and [[Battle of Montereau]]. This relieved Metternich's fears that an overconfident Alexander might act unilaterally.<ref name="palmer107"/>

{{rquote|right|You have no idea what sufferings the people at headquarters impose upon us! I cannot stand it much longer and the Emperor Francis is already ill. [The other leaders] are all mad and belong in the lunatic asylum.|Metternich to Stadion {{harv|Palmer|1972|p=116}}}}

Metternich continued negotiations with the French envoy Caulaincourt through early to mid March 1814, when victory at the [[Battle of Laon]] put the Coalition back on the offensive. By this time Metternich was tiring of trying to hold the Coalition together, and even the British-engineered [[Treaty of Chaumont]] did not help.<ref name="palmer107"/> In the absence of the Prussians and Russians the Coalition agreed to the restoration of the [[Bourbon dynasty]].<ref name="palmer107"/><ref name="ford257"/> Francis rejected a final plea from Napoleon that he would abdicate in favour of his [[Napoleon II|son]] with Marie Louise as regent, and Paris fell on 30 March. Military manoeuvres had forced Metternich westward to [[Dijon]] on 24 March and now, after a deliberate delay, he left for the French capital on 7 April.<ref name="palmer107"/> On 10 April he found a city at peace and, much to his annoyance, largely in the control of Tsar Alexander. The Austrians disliked the terms of the [[Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814)|Treaty of Fontainebleau]] that Russia had imposed on Napoleon in their absence, but Metternich was reluctant to oppose them and on 11 April signed the treaty. Thereafter he focused on safeguarding Austrian interests in the forthcoming peace; asserting Austria's influence in Germany over that of Prussia; and undoing Russian ascendancy. For these reasons he ensured that the Italian provinces of Lombardy and Venetia, [[Peace of Pressburg (1805)|lost to French client states in 1805]], were duly re-annexed as the [[Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia]].<ref name="palmer118">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=118–123}}</ref>

On the division of formerly French-occupied Poland and Germany, Metternich was more confined by the interests of the Allies. After two failed proposals, advanced by the Prussians, the issue was postponed until after a peace treaty had been signed.<ref name="palmer123"/> Elsewhere, Metternich, like many of his counterparts, was anxious to provide the renewed French monarchy with the resources to maintain control. The generous [[Treaty of Paris (1814)|Treaty of Paris]] was signed on 30 May.<ref name="ford257">{{harvnb|Ford|1971|p=257}}</ref> Now free, Metternich accompanied Tsar Alexander to England; Wilhelmine, who had followed Metternich to Paris, also made the crossing.<ref name="palmer123"/> A triumphant Metternich filled his four weeks with revelry, re-establishing his reputation and that of Austria; he was also awarded an honorary law degree from the [[University of Oxford]]. By contrast and to Metternich's pleasure, Alexander was ill-mannered and often insulting. Despite the opportunities, little diplomacy took place; instead, all that was firmly agreed was that proper discussions would take place at Vienna, with a date tentatively set for 15 August. When the Tsar tried to postpone it to October Metternich agreed but effected conditions that prevented Alexander from exercising any advantage due to his de facto control of Poland. Metternich was eventually reunited with his family in Austria in the middle of July 1814, having stopped for a week in France to soothe fears surrounding Napoleon's wife Marie Louise, now the [[Duchy of Parma and Piacenza|Duchess of Parma]]. His return to Vienna was celebrated by an occasional cantata that included the line "History holds thee up to posterity as a model among great men".<ref name="palmer123">{{harvnb|Palmer|1972|pp=123–129}}</ref>