Prince Metternich
Speaking of tyrannical kings in the 19th century, Prince Klemens von Metternich is renowned for both his efforts to establish peace in Europe after the Napoleonic Wars and his repressive nature. When he was appointed foreign minister in 1809, he focused on halting the Ottoman and Russian Empires' expansion as well as the establishment of democratic institutions, including quelling populist uprisings.
Such upheavals ultimately forced him from office in 1848. According to works like Alexander Gerschenkron's Bread and Democracy in Germany, Metternich had confessed that he would delay the spread of democracy for as long as he could, even though it was inevitable that it would happen in the wake of such monumental events as the French Revolution.
Metternich continued to receive harsh criticism in Germany and Austria well into the 1950s. In movies from the time, he and his secret police were shown breaking into peasant parties and seeking to get the waltzes banned in favor of more traditional polka dances. As Metternich would have acknowledged, many individuals do not view peace as a valuable alternative to freedom.
- Time: 1773 to 1859
