Congress of Vienna

(1814-1815) – a series of
meetings during which
European leaders sought
to establish long-lasting
peace and security after
the defeat of Napoleon.
Five great powers
involved: Prussia, Russia,
Austria, Great Britain,
France.
The four victors wanted to
forestall any future
European empire. To
achieve this they
reestablished a balance of
power, which meant they
had to include France.
Most influential person of the meetings was Klemens von Metternich, the
foreign minister of Austria

The word 'freedom' means for me not a point of

departure but a genuine point of arrival. The point of
departure is defined by the word 'order'. Freedom
cannot exist without the concept of order.

Klemens Wenzel, Prince von

Metternich (1773 – 1859)
 The Concert of Europe, also known as the
Congress System after the Congress of
Vienna, was the balance of power that existed
in Europe from the end of the Napoleonic Wars
(1815) to the outbreak of the First World War
(1914).

The age of the Concert is sometimes known

as the Age of Metternich, due to the influence
of the Austrian chancellor's conservatism and
the dominance of Austria within the German
Confederation.

Prince Metternich, conductor

of the Concert of Europe
Metternich had contempt for the average Englishman’s inability to speak
French fluently. He praised Lord John Dudley, British Foreign Secretary, for his
excellent French.

The common people of Vienna speak French better than

the educated men of London!

That may be so, but Your Highness will recall that

Bonaparte has not been twice in London to teach them!

How does Dudley’s reply put Metternich in his

place?
Metternich’s three goals:

1. Prevent future French aggression by surrounding her with strong

countries
2. Restore a balance of power, so that no country would be a threat to
others
3. Restore Europe’s royal families to their thrones (legitimacy)

When Paris sneezes, Europe catches cold!

Metternich
The Containment of France
• Kingdom of the Netherlands formed, and Switzerland made
independent
• Austria dominates new German Confederation of 39 German states
• Russia and Prussia scaled back their demands for compensation.
• Russia created a small kingdom of Poland.
• Kingdom of Sardinia is strengthened by adding Genoa

Balance of Power
European powers weaken France but leave it mostly intact

Legitimacy
Monarchs deposed by Napoleon are returned to thrones to promote
stability (a victory for conservatives)

E.g., Louis XVIII becomes a constitutional monarch of France;

Bourbon rulers of Spain and Sicily restored; Hapsburg princes
returned to rule states in northern Italy
A cartoon about the creation of Belgium in 1830. In order to establish a
buffer between France and Germany, the Congress of Vienna created a
kingdom of the Netherlands by combining Holland and Belgium (the latter
the former Austrian Netherlands).

Belgium resented Dutch rule, and in 1830 the Catholic nobility and the
middle-class liberals joined forces in an insurrection that resulted in the
creation of the independent state of Belgium.

Here, the two countries are caricatured as dogs on the same leash,
Belgium resisting the constraint of Holland.
Congress of Vienna was a triumph. Nations of an entire continent were
cooperating to control political affairs. They agreed to meet regularly to
prevent future wars through diplomacy. This "congress system" was
successful for most of the 19th century.
Because its settlements were fair enough, it did not sow the seeds of future
wars (cf. Treaty of Versailles).

European nations agree to preserve peace, which lasts almost 40 years.

None of the five great powers waged war on one another until 1853, in the
Crimean War.