Die Protokolle des österr. Ministerrates 1848- 1867,IV/2

Volume IV/2 of the edition "Die Protokolle des österreichischen Ministerrates 1848 - 1867 (The Protocols of the Austrian Cabinet 1848 - 1867)" comprises the records from March 6th 1860 to October 16th 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 main event during these months was the convocation as well as the first and only session of the so called verstärkten Reichsrat. The main task of this institution of prominent members from the provinces was to counsel the budget for 1861. The hope of the government was, to get the trust of the creditors to prevent the imminent bankruptcy. The conservative aristocratic Hungarian and Bohemian members o the verstärkten Reichsrat used the debate about the budget succsessfully for a fundamental political discussion, ending in the advice of reforming the monarchy in a conservative and federal way. In contrast to them, the liberals demanded a constitution. To withstand these political pressures, the government tried to satisfy both sides with concessions. The result was the kaiserliche Diplom of October 20th 1860, the so called Oktoberdiplom. This diploma set an end of the period of the Austrian neo-absolutism and transformed imperial Austria into a constructional monarchy. To calm the revolutionary situation in Hungary the government recalled the governor of Hungary, Archduke Albrecht. Dependent on this internal political weakness Austria did not intervene into the dramatic processes in Italy, resulting in the unification of this peninsula. Beside these topics, often and intensely discussed in the ministerial conferences, the normal administrative activities of the government will be documented in the protocols as well. 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.