▁Spain , ▁Britain ▁sett ling ▁the ▁borders ▁of ▁Belg ium ▁or ▁Russia ▁dec iding ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁Turkey ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 3 . ▁Not ▁only ▁were ▁his ▁fail ures ▁limited ▁to ▁foreign ▁affairs , ▁critics ▁argue : ▁at ▁home ▁he ▁was ▁equally ▁power less , ▁failing ▁to ▁push ▁through ▁even ▁his ▁own ▁propos als ▁for ▁administrative ▁reform . ▁On ▁this ▁basis ▁it ▁is ▁argued ▁that ▁Met tern ich ▁was ▁essentially ▁irrelevant ▁both ▁home ▁and ▁abroad . ▁ ▁Support ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁Met tern ich ' s ▁credentials ▁as ▁a ▁diplom at ▁and ▁states man ▁were ▁the ▁focus ▁of ▁pra ise ▁in ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁from ▁more ▁fav ou rable ▁histor ians , ▁particularly ▁bi ograph er ▁Heinrich ▁von ▁S rb ik . ▁For ▁example , ▁particularly ▁after ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁histor ians ▁were ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁defend ▁Met tern ich ' s ▁policies ▁as ▁reasonable ▁attempts ▁to ▁achieve ▁his ▁own ▁goals ▁i . e . ▁the ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁power ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁the ▁status ▁qu o ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁challenge . ▁Even ▁if ▁the ▁sort ▁of ▁international ▁consp i racy ▁Met tern ich ▁imag ined ▁never ▁existed , ▁the ▁Napole onic ▁era ▁was ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁change ▁which ▁left ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁like ▁Met tern ich ▁with ▁few ▁options . ▁More ▁sympath etic ▁histor ians ▁highlight ▁that ▁Met tern ich ▁correctly ▁for es aw ▁and ▁worked ▁to ▁prevent ▁Russian ▁domin ance ▁in ▁Europe ,