On the 7th of October the emperor Ferdinand had fled from Schonbrunn to Olmiitz, a Slav district, whence he issued a proclamation inviting whoever loved "Austria and freedom" to rally round the throne.
Thus at the end of 1860, the very time when he had hoped that his personal policy was to rally round him once for all the whole of France, and assure the future of his dynasty, he saw, on the contrary, that it was turning against him his strongest supporters.
Sagasta reconstructed his ministry for the last time, and announced his intention to make the re-establishment of universal suffrage the crowning act of the Liberal policy, knowing very well that he would thus rally round him all the Liberals,.
