WI: No Kolowrat in 19th cent. Austria

Franz Anton von Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky was the finance minister of Austria from 1826 to 1848. He is credited with bringing the state's finances to order and preventing overspending. In fact, even the British sang praises of his skill.

However, that came at the cost of the army, which was, by what I've read, in a terrible state and barely able to pay the salaries of soldiers and officers, let alone consider new equipment.

I've also read that Kolowrat often butted heads with Metternich and was rather hard-headed. In fact, he offered his resignation to the Emperor multiple times in order to push through moves that were opposed by Metternich.

Now, suppose Kolowrat is either not invited to Vienna in the first place or has one of his offers of resignation accepted by the Emperor (who, say, got up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning). This essentially leaves Metternich as the sole power in the Imperial court, free to implement whichever reforms and projects he wishes (and can talk Franz I. into).

The question I want to ask is this:
What are the effects?

With Metternich's backing, the army would receive the funding it required and reached 1848 both modern and very prepared, but would they be able to beat the Italians and Hungarians without the extreme effort of OTL? Or would the Empire's finances collapse without Kolowrat to bring them to order?

Would Metternich succeed in removing Ferdinand from power (or prevent him from inheriting in the first place, as he wanted and proposed as early as 1823) without opposition to him in the cabinet and Empire? With a longer period to work on Franz, he might even convince him to let someone else inherit. If not, could he use the Regency to push through his ideas without Kolowrat in it? I, admittedly, don't know much about Archduke Louis.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
Top