born Oct. 2, 1800, Krummau, Bohemia, Austrian Habsburg domain
died April 5, 1852, Vienna, Austria
Austrian statesman who restored the Habsburg empire as a European power.
Entering the diplomatic service, he became a protégé of Prince Klemens von Metternich and served in several Austrian embassies. In the Revolutions of 1848 , he helped Joseph Radetzky defeat rebel forces in Italy. As prime minister and foreign minister of Austria (184852), he secured the replacement of Emperor Ferdinand by Francis Joseph . He reestablished order in Austria with a new constitution that transformed the Habsburg empire into a unitary, centralized state. He also imposed the Punctation of Olmütz on Prussia.