How did Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand help arrange Napoleon’s marriage to Marie-Louise of Austria?

After Napoleon annulled his marriage to the empress Joséphine, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand played a role in arranging the Emperor’s marriage to the Austrian archduchess Marie-Louise. Talleyrand supported this union in the hope that it would serve to moderate Napoleon’s political ambitions.1

While Talleyrand was involved in the process, historical records indicate that the Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich was the primary architect of the match. Seeking a respite for an exhausted Austria following the Treaty of Schönbrunn, Metternich proposed the marriage to Napoleon, who was actively seeking a wife of royal blood. Metternich successfully exploited Napoleon’s vanity to secure the alliance, which allowed Austria to maintain a degree of freedom of action within the Napoleonic system.23