ABSTRACT
Most were content to demand constitutional monarchy under the Habsburgs who, in turn, proved ready to concede many demands. Alfons von Metternich himself ‘took a full, often a dominant part in the matters’, displaying a particular interest in manuscripts concerning Hungary, foreign affairs, history – particularly Habsburg history – the affairs of the Catholic Church, political science and natural law. The system was never as efficient as Metternich would have liked: the Russian and Hanoverian codes proved hard to crack and, despite his best efforts, he never managed to establish an Italian centre along the lines of the Investigating Centre which had been set up in Mainz in 1825. Metternich backtracked to save Austria’s face, but Catholic hostility to the Austrians was again increased when riots broke out in Milan upon the entry into that city of its first Italian-born Archbishop.
