Why did Klemens von Metternich resign during the Vienna Revolution of 1848?

Klemens von Metternich resigned on March 13, 1848, as a direct consequence of the Vienna Revolution.

By 1848, Metternich had become a widely recognized symbol of repression and reaction within the Austrian Empire. When news of the revolution in Paris reached Vienna, crowds—primarily composed of students and members of liberal clubs—demonstrated to demand basic freedoms and a liberalization of the government.12

As these demonstrations escalated into violent clashes between the authorities and the public, the government sought to de-escalate the situation and appease the crowds. Consequently, they dismissed Metternich and promised to issue a constitution. His resignation marked him as the first victim of the revolutionary movement that swept through the Habsburg monarchy that year.21