Die Protokolle des österreichischen Ministerrates 1848-1867 IV/1

Volume IV/1 of the edition "Die Protokolle des österreichischen Ministerrates 1848-1867 (The Protocols of the Austrian Cabinet 1848-1867)" comprises the records from May 19th 1859 to March 2./3. 1860 plus footnotes concerning textual criticism, a thorough scientific commentary as well as an introduction and a bibliography. The detailed index will be integrated later. - The first part of this volume is dominated by the war which Austria fought against Sardinia-Piemont and France. The resulting political isolation of Austria made Buol resign and Rechberg became foreign minister and interim head of cabinet. - The defeat at Solferino, the lack of allies and shortage of money led to Franz Josephs peace treaty with Napoleon III. In due consequence of the military defeat, That also caused the loss of the flourishing Lombardy, an end was put to the neo-absolutist regime as had been installed by the young emperor in 1851/52. He had to dismiss the most important neo-absolutist counsellors, and after a tense power struggle between feudal conservative aristocracy and the moderately conservative bureaucracy Franz Joseph entitled the latter to introduce those "improvements in legislation and administration" which had been promised in the "Laxenburg Manifest". The composition of the governmental program in summer of 1859 is well recorded in "special minutes", which will be published in this volume for the first time in full length. - On August 21th Rechberg was appointed Prime Minister. His cabinet immediately started to execute the main items of the program as there were: restoration of public finances, reduction of military expenses, concessions to the liberals (freedom of the press, steps toward the emancipation of the jews) and the aristocracy (local self government). The government also made an attempt to solve the Hungarian question. Because of the weakness of the government these concessions were not satisfying and the claims of the population for partaking in the political process became more and more demanding. The government decided to stock up the "Reichsrat", a merely consultative assembly, with deputies from the provinces. Thus, in spring of 1860 the period of governmental experiments commenced and 1859 proved to be the turning point on the way to a liberal constitutional state. - This volume will be published in the series "Protocols of the Austrian Cabinet" of the publishing house öbv&hpt. The documents are an important source for the history of Austria and its neighbouring countries.