Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/658

 502 General History of Europe consent of the people to his remaining president for ten years. A year later, the dream of his life was at last realized the Second Empire was established, and as Napoleon III he became "Emperor of the French by the grace of God and the will of the people." II. THE REVOLUTION OF 1848 IN AUSTRIA, ITALY, AND GERMANY 891. Austria's Commanding Position. The overthrow of Louis Philippe encouraged the opponents of Metternich in Ger- many, Austria, and Italy to attempt to make an end of his system at once and forever. In view of the important part that Austria had played in central Europe since the fall of Napoleon I, it was inevitable that she should appear the chief barrier to the attainment of national unity and liberal government in Italy and Germany. As ruler of Lombardy and Venetia she practically controlled Italy, and as presiding member of the German Confed- eration she had been able to keep even Prussia in line. Moreover, the territories of the Hapsburgs were inhabited by such a mixture of peoples that to grant national independence would mean com- plete disruption of the Empire. 892. Overthrow of Metternich (March, 1848). On March 13 the populace of Vienna rose in revolt against the government. Metternich fled, and all his efforts, for thirty years, to suppress reform appeared to have come to naught. Before the end of the month the helpless Austrian emperor had given his permission to the kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia to draw up constitutions for themselves granting equality of all classes in the matter of taxation, religious freedom, and liberty of the press, and providing that each country should have a parliament of its own, which should meet annually. 893. Revolution in Italy. Italy naturally took this favorable opportunity to revolt against the hated "Germans." Immediately on the news of Metternich's fall the Milanese expelled the Aus- trian troops from their city, and soon Austria was forced to evacuate a great part of Lombardy. The Venetians followed the