Miroslav Šediv y, a professor of history at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, produced a fine and original monograph, exploring European diplomatic history in the Italian peninsula during the years 1830–1848. Šediv y is the author of two previous diplomatic works: Metternich, the Great Powers and the Eastern Question (Pilsen, 2013) and Crisis Among the Great Powers: The Concert of Europe and the Eastern Question (London, 2017). Šediv y’s work focuses on international tension, discords, and conflicts in Italy. He stresses that international relations during those years were characterized by ‘egotism, jealousy, mistrust, fear, law-breaking and finally war’ (p.1). In pursuing their policies, Great Powers, most notably France and England as well as smaller Italian states, Piedmont in particular, weremotivated by geopolitical and economic interests which violated principles of legal conduct required of governments according to the Congress System and conflict resolution through diplomacy. Following an analysis of the heritage of the Congress of Vienna, Šediv y explores meticulously various crises and clashes in the peninsula during three periods: 1830–33, 1840, and 1846–48. They include the French occupation of Ancona, the Sulphur War between Britain and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the impact of the Rhine Crisis, the Salt Wine discord between Austria and Piedmont, the Ferrara Affair (1847), and the growing tension between Austria and Piedmont that led to the eruption of war between them in early 1848. The author based the volume on extensive research inmany European archives and a broad bibliography in Italian, English, German, and French. Restoration Italy was divided into eight states as ratified at the Congress of Vienna. Austria, led by its chancellor Clemens von Metternich, constituted the hegemonic power in the peninsula during the Restoration. The Habsburgs ruled over Lombardy and Venetia, incorporating them into their empire as a single kingdom. Three states had rulers related to the Habsburgs: Tuscany, Parma, and Modena. The Congress System consisted of an array of laws and rules that were designed to solve conflicts diplomatically, ensure stability and order in international relations, and provide security to all countries. Legal guidelines and cooperation among governments constituted essential foundations of the System. Metternich, the main statesman discussed in Šediv y’s work, supported reforms and advocated cooperation. He strongly defended the Congress System and wished to preserve it. In the author’s words:

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国会制度的衰落梅特涅，意大利和欧洲外交

皮尔森西波西米亚大学历史教授米罗斯拉夫·塞迪夫（MiroslavŠedivy）撰写了精美而独到的专着，探讨了1830年至1848年在意大利半岛的欧洲外交历史。Šedivy是前两部外交著作的作者：梅特涅，《大国与东方问题》（皮尔森，2013年）和《大国危机：欧洲与东方问题的音乐会》（伦敦，2017年）。Šedivy的工作重点是意大利的国际紧张局势，不和与冲突。他强调说，在那些年中，国际关系的特点是“自负，嫉妒，不信任，恐惧，违法，最后是战争”（第1页）。在实行政策时，大国，尤其是法国和英格兰以及较小的意大利州，尤其是皮埃蒙特，受到地缘政治和经济利益的驱使，这些利益违反了国会根据国会制度要求政府采取的法律行为原则，以及通过外交手段解决冲突。在对维也纳会议的遗产进行分析之后，塞迪夫（Šedivy）仔细研究了半岛在三个时期的各种危机和冲突：1830-33、1840和1846-48。其中包括法国对安科纳的占领，不列颠与两个西西里王国之间的硫磺战争，莱茵河危机的影响，奥地利和皮埃蒙特之间的咸酒不和，费拉拉事件（1847），以及奥地利之间日益紧张的关系和皮埃蒙特（Piedmont）在1848年初导致了他们之间的战争爆发。作者根据大量的欧洲文献和大量的意大利语，英语，德语，和法语。恢复意大利经维也纳会议批准，分为八个州。奥地利在其总理克莱门斯·冯·梅特涅（Clemens von Metternich）的领导下，恢复了半岛霸权。哈布斯堡王朝统治伦巴第和威尼斯，将它们合并为一个王国。三个州拥有与哈布斯堡王朝有关的统治者：托斯卡纳，帕尔马和摩德纳。国会系统由一系列法律和规则组成，旨在通过外交手段解决冲突，确保国际关系的稳定与秩序以及为所有国家提供安全。法律指导方针和政府之间的合作是该系统的重要基础。主要政治家梅特涅（Metternich）在Šedivy的工作中进行了讨论，支持改革并主张合作。他坚决捍卫国会制度，并希望保留下来。用作者的话说：