1848: From Literary Master to Habsburg Chancellor

Years later, as Richard Metternich lies on his deathbed, he reflects on his extraordinary life before those gathered around him. “I have done only three things in my life. First, I conversed with Hugo and Dickens and, almost by accident, became one of the leading figures in German literature. Second, I served as Austria’s prime minister for decades, unified Germany, integrated its ethnic minorities, fought a world war, and established the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Third, I improved the living and working conditions of the people and the workers. If there is one more achievement worth mentioning, it is that I brought peace—the peace that belongs to our generation. I am ashamed that I have done so little; they were merely small contributions.” This is the story of Richard Metternich, an exile who returns to 1848 and gradually rises from a literary master to a figure capable of influencing the entire European continent.