Congress of Vienna

Re-building Napoleonic Europe

1814-1815
 Congress of Vienna Timeline
Begins after Napoleon surrenders to the allied
powers in Paris after 150,000 troops marched into
the city
May 1814: first Treaty of Paris signed by Allies -
restores Bourbon line to the throne and reduces
France to pre-1792 borders
September 1814: Congress of Vienna convened
March 1815: Napoleons 100 Days
June 8, 1815: Final act of Congress signed
June 15, 1815: Battle of Waterloo
May 21, 1821: Napoleon dies on St. Helena
 Congress of Vienna
Peace Conference - purpose?
Diplomats from almost all European states
Dominated by landed classes/aristocracy
Conservative philosophy
Restore pre-revolution status quo
Participants - Big Four

Alexander I Prince
Russia Hardenberg
Prussia

Klemens von Viscount

Metternich Castlereagh
Austria England
 France
Louis XVIIIs representative
Charles de Talleyrand

Goal to exclude France

Talleyrand skillfully inserts
himself
 Chief Concerns
Stability/Peace: What to do about France?
Redrawing the map of Europe
Who gets what? What govt should be in
charge?
 Key Principles
Achieving Stability/Peace
Legitimacy - Restore govts that reject revolutionary
principles (status quo)
Bourbons in France, Spain, Kingdom of 2 Sicilies
Not all govts restored? HRE? Why?
Balance of Power - Check universal monarchy
European diplomatic goal
Key: dont crush France
Compensation - Adequate but not excessive
Avoid large territorial claims
Balance of power considerations
 Territorial Decisions: The New Europe
France - 1792 boundaries
Kingdom of the Netherlands
(Dutch Republic/Austrian
Netherlands)
Prussia: East bank of the Rhine
Austria: Northern Italy
Great Britain given Malta, Cape
Colony, Ceylon
Switzerland: Neutrality
German Confederation - 39
states
Diet: No executive power
Norway transferred to Sweden
Pope restored in Papal States
King of Sardinia restored in
Piedmont, Nice, Savoy/Genoa
Duchies of Piacenza and
Guastalla given to Marie
Louise, Napoleons wife
Hapsburgs restored in Grand
Tuscany/Modena
Slave trade condemned
Freedom of navigation
guaranteed for many rivers -
Rhine
Territorial Decisions: The New Europe
Territorial Decisions: The New Europe
 Polish-Saxon Crisis
Russian-Prussian Deal: Russians get independent Polish kingdom in
exchange Prussia gets Saxony

Unacceptable to Austrians and British - Talleyrand exerts his power

January 3, 1815: Secret treaty-->War

Compromise
Russia - Congress Poland
Prussia - 2/5 of Saxony
 Establishment of Congress System:
New World Order
Preserving the Agreement

Internally: Tough Government

Conservative
Carlsbad Decrees

Externally: Cooperative Action - Francis I Frederick William III Alexander I

work together to stop threats
Concert of Europe
Congress of Troppau

Holy Allance: Austria, Prussia,

Russia
Evaluation of the Congress of Vienna
Weaknesses?

Strengths?