I have recently been reading the brilliant book “Vienna 1814: How the Conquerors of Napoleon Made Love, War and Peace at the Congress of Vienna” by David King. A wonderful account of the actual days and nights during which 19th century Europe was created, the book gives a chance to get an insight into the actual thoughts, discussions and dealings by historical giants such as Klemens von Metternich. King writes engaged, lively and colorful and manage to weave together an intricate web where the lives and actions of political delegates seem to logically connect to Vienna contemporaries such as Ludwig van Beethoven in a grand narrative that is fascinatingly complex yet great fun and comprehensible for the average history nerd.
For anyone interested in diplomacy, history, or international politics this book is a must: it provides in-depth and intriguing insights into the actual stories and life worlds of what was to define the emerging field of diplomacy. Metternich’s importance can be gauged by the fact that he is still a controversial figure who for long, especially by the liberal democrats of late 19th and early 20th century - was depicted as a reactionary oppressor. For others he is seen as a forebearer of modern diplomacy – especially in regards to him leveraging Montesquieu’s balance of powers to an international framework. Apparently, Henry Kissinger (also a controversial figure these days) wrote his Harvard PhD on Metternich.
