The Congress of Vienna: 1814-1815
The Defeat of Napoleon
-Napoleon initially defeated at the Battle of Nations in 1813
-European nations unsure how to proceed
-Who would negotiate with Napoleon?
-Led to the Frankfurt Proposals
Frankfurt Proposals
-Following the defeat at Leipzig, Metternich offers the proposals
-Napoleon would remain French emperor
-France would retain its natural “Rhine” frontier
-Napoleon rejects the proposals
-3 weeks later, Napoleon defeated by Quadruple Alliance
Quadruple Alliance
-Russia, Prussia, Austria and England
-Agreed to work together to stop any war or threat to the balance of power
-Would meet in Congress to discuss
-Austria saw this as defending the status quo
-France is continually viewed as a potential violator
-“Concert of Europe”
Abdication of Napoleon
-As part of the Treaty of Paris, 1814
-Napoleon abdicated throne
-Exiled to Elba
-Bourbon Restoration
-Louis XVIII
-Congress of Vienna meets for first time in September 1814
The Congress of Vienna
-Napoleon escapes Elba and begins his 100 days of rule
-Defeated by Quadruple Alliance
-Congress of Vienna continues to meet informally and concludes 9 days prior to Napoleon’s final defeat at Waterloo
The Congress System
-Congress of Vienna was first in a series called the Congress System
-Diplomats wanted to preserve peace
-“Gentleman’s Agreement”
-Verbal, no constitution
-Where conflict could lead to war-meeting to discuss resolution
-Early origins of international cooperation
The Dancing Congress
-Pageantry, parties, balls
-Banquets like pre 1789
-Meant to generate good will between delegates
-Occupy their time since there was often no serious nature of work going on
The Congress of Vienna: Goals and Accomplishments
The Goal of the Congress of Vienna
-Draw an acceptable peace agreement in Europe
-No great rewards
-No great punishments
-Redraw the map of Europe as it existed pre-1789 in order to ensure peace & stability
-Status quo ante bellum
Goals Continued…
-Leaders at the Congress agreed to a balance of power in Europe
-Ensuring that no country could dominate the continent, politically & militarily as France had done
Overall Accomplishments of the Congress
-Balanced settlement which ensured no major conflict for 40 years and then until 1914
-Crimean War, 1854-1856
-Included France
-Kind to France, so as not to lead to feelings of revenge
Overall Accomplishments of the Congress Continued
-Ignored demands for greater democracy and nationalism
-Led to many issues in the 1800’s between & within countries
-Desire to restore monarchies
-Principle of Legitimacy
Principle of Legitimacy
-Restore power to monarchs
-Return power to ruling families deposed after 2 decades of revolution
-Bourbons in France, Spain and Naples
-Dynasties in Holland
-Papal States returned to the Pope
The German States
-The German Confederacy was set up to replace the Holy Roman Empire
-German states reduced from over 300 to 39
-Bicameral Diet established with delegates, presided by Austria
-Each state retained independence, war forbidden between states
-Consent of Confederacy necessary for foreign war
Condemnation of the Slave Trade
-In Feb 1815 the Congress condemned the slave trade
-Inconsistent with civilization & human rights
The Delegates at the Congress
Prince Klemens von Metternich: Objectives
Austria
-Restore Europe to pre-French Revolution
-Dominated Congress
-Rejected ideas of French Revolution
-Conservative, resisted change
-Despised democracy & nationalism
-1815-1848
-Anti-democratic policies followed throughout W. Europe
Lord Castlereagh: Objectives
England
-To ensure France would never again become a dominants power in Europe
-Determined to diminish the prestige and influence of France
-Encircle France with larger and stronger states guaranteeing balance of power
Czar Alexander I: Objectives
Russia
-To organize an alliance system (Holy Alliance) of Christian monarchs to fight revolutions throughout the world
-Ineffective, idealistic, existed only on paper
-Britain and Pope didn’t join
-Wanted a free and independent Poland
-With himself as King of Poland
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand: Objectives
France
-Wanted to ensure that France would retain the rank of a major power in Europe
-Plays the role of mediator between Prussia/Russia and England/Austria
Treachery of Talleyrand
-1808-1809
-Talleyrand secretly in touch with Alexander I
-What would happen after Napoleon’s overthrow
-Metternich’s famous comment
-“A lump of shit in a silk stocking”
“Vous ests de la merde dans un bas de soie”
Karl von Hardenberg: Objectives
Prussia
-Wanted to recover Prussian territory that was lost to Napoleon in 1807
-Wanted additional territory in Northern Germany (Saxony)
Who Got What?
-Compensation reward to states who made considerable sacrifices to defeat Napoleon
-England:
-Naval Bases
-Malta, Ceylon, Cape of Good Hope
-Austria:
-Lombardy, Venetia, Galicia, Illyrian Province (Adriatic Sea)
-Russia:
-Most of Poland, Finland
-Alexander I became constitutional monarch of Poland (still autocratic Czar of Russia)
-Prussia:
-The Rhineland, part of Poland
Sweden:
-Norway
Who Got What? France Encircled!
-Netherlands strengthened
-Belgium to Netherlands
-Northern border
-Prussia gets Rhenish land
-Eastern border
-Switzerland guaranteed neutrality
-Southeastern border
-German Confederation
-Easter border
-Sardinia adds Genoa
-Southern border
Congress of Vienna: Comments…
-The confederation of German states & re-division of Italy led to 19th c. unification activity
-Britain appeared to gain little
-BUT…gained colonial power, commerce
-Became the major European colonial power
-Liberalism/Nationalism halted, albeit briefly
-Russia enters as a West European power from 1815 onwards
-Plays an important role in European dip
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Napoleonic Empire: 1813
The Defeat of Napoleon
Frankfurt Proposals
Quadruple Alliance
Abdication of Napoleon
The Congress of Vienna
The Congress System
The Dancing Congress
The Congress of Vienna: Goals and Accomplishment
The Goal of the Congress of Vienna
Overall Accomplishments of the Congress
Principle of Legitimacy
The German States
Condemnation of the Slave Trade
The Delegates at the Congress
Prince Klemens von Metternich: Objectives (Austria)
Lord Castlereagh: Objectives (England)
Czar Alexander I: Objectives (Russia)
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand: Objectives (France)
Treachery of Talleyrand
Karl von Hardenber: Objectives (Prussia)
Who Got What?
Congress of Vienna: Comments
Source: http://www.course-notes.org/sites/www.course-notes.org/files/uploads/archive/european_history/lecture_nov_22_the_congress_of_vienna.docx
Web site to visit: http://www.course-notes.org
Author of the text: not indicated on the source document of the above text
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