The Austrian Empire had long been declining. This was due to a number of reasons. Most important were the different nationalities within the Empire. The Germans were the minority however they were in control of the government and all other important political positions. The Magyars, or the Hungarians, were powerless, and they were the larger group of disenfranchised people. The Italians in the west had become ceded after the war with Prussia and Italy. The Slavic groups in the north and south were very unorganized, and still didn't have any rights. The principle political figure in Austria was Prince Klemens von Metternich. He worked to crush all revolutionaries. He failed, and a revolution st