Peter Viereck’s View of Metternich’s Conservative Internationalism

• Authors: Gergely Egedy
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This study is focussed on the political views of Clemens Metternich, the chancellor and foreign minister of the Hapsburg Empire. To be more precise, the article is concerned with Viereck’s interpretation of Metternich. Peter Viereck was one of the principle theoreticians of conservatism in twentieth-century America, who offered a markedly unorthodox analysis of Metternich’s conservatism, touching upon a number of crucial questions. He considers Metternich to be a “principle”, an exponent and guardian of prudential conservatism and conservative internationalism. He emphasizes Metternich’s efforts to tame the resurgent nationalism of the European nations and also his little-known attempts to reform the structure of the Hapsburg Empire. The approach adopted by this study is defined primarily by an interest in the history of political ideas.

Keywords

EN

Aristocratic Spirit; Concert of Europe; Conservative Internationalism; Conservative Way to Freedom; Fascist-Bolshevist Synthesis; “Kraft im Recht”; “Principles” versus “Force”

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: University of West Bohemia, Pilsen, Czech Republic
• Journal: West Bohemian Historical Review
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 133–147

Contributors

author

Gergely Egedy

• National University of Public Service, Budapest