1. The Congress of
Vienna

2. Europe in 1812

3. The Congress of Vienna (September 1, 1814 – June 9, 1815)

4. Coin Commemorating the Opening of the Congress of Vienna

5. Main Objectives
It’s job was to undo everything that Napoléon had done, contain the revolution and revolutionary forces and restore the old order.
GB, Austria, Prussia and Russia agreed to remain united while fighting Napoleon and to ensure the peace after the war.
Reduce France to its old boundaries  her frontiers were pushed back to 1790 level.
Restore as many of the old monarchies as possible that had lost their thrones during the Napoléonic era.
The quadruple alliance met in 1814 in Vienna to arrange a final peace settlement and Prince Klemens von Metternich headed the Congress.
Supported the resolution: There is always an alternative to conflict.

6. Key Players at Vienna Foreign Minister, Viscount Castlereagh (Br.)
Tsar Alexander I (Rus.)
The “Host” Prince Klemens von Metternich (Aus.)
King Frederick William III (Prus.)
Foreign Minister, Charles Maurice de Tallyrand (Fr.)

7. Key Principles Established at Vienna
Balance of Power
Legitimacy
Compensation
Coalition forces would occupy France for 3-5 years.
France would have to pay an indemnity of 700,000,000 francs.

8. Legitimacy
Legitimacy- it is necessary to restore the legitimate monarchs who would preserve traditional institutions.
The Congress put Louis XVIII- Bourbon monarchy- back on the throne in France.
Restored the monarchs in Spain and a number of rulers to their Italian thrones.
The claims of legitimacy were ignored in some areas though, overshadowed by a desire for power- Poland is an example.
Austria, Russia and Prussia all laid claims to Poland, Prussia and Austria were allowed to keep some Polish territory, and a new independent Polish kingdom was created and the Romanov dynasty of Russia was it’s ruler. (so really it is under Russian control)
Austria was compensated for its loss of Poland with other lands.

9. Created a peace that Lasted 100 years
Balance of Power
Delegates at the COV believed they were creating a new balance of power (prevention of any one country from gaining power over Europe)
For example, to balance Russian gains, Prussia and Austria had to be strengthened.
This balance of power also did not mean blaming or significantly weakening France, so France remained a great power after the Congress.
Instead the congress members attempted to establish major defensive barriers against possible French expansion in the future.
The only punishment France received was due to their excitement over Napoleon’s return (which halted the conference for a bit) and the punishment was France having to go back to their 1790’s borders, pay a fine and allow foreign army occupation for 5 years.
Created a peace that
Lasted 100 years

10. Changes Made at Vienna/Compensation
France was deprived of all territory conquered by Napoléon.
Russia was given most of Duchy of Warsaw (Poland).
Prussia was given half of Saxony, parts of Poland, and other German territories.
A Germanic Confederation of 30+ states (including Prussia) was created from the previous 300, under Austrian rule.
Austria was given back territory it had lost recently, plus more in Germany and Italy.
The House of Orange was given the Dutch Republic and the Austrian Netherlands to rule.

11. The Germanic Confederation, 1815

12. Changes Made at Vienna (2)
Norway and Sweden were joined.
The neutrality of Switzerland was guaranteed.
Hanover was enlarged, and made a kingdom.
Britain was given Cape Colony, South Africa, and various other colonies in Africa and Asia.
Sardinia was given Piedmont, Nice, Savoy, and Genoa.
The Bourbon Ferdinand I was restored in the Two Sicilies.
The Duchy of Parma was given to Marie Louise.
The slave trade was condemned (at British urging).
Freedom of navigation was guaranteed for many rivers.

13. Europe After the Congress of Vienna

14. What was the legacy of the Congress of Vienna?

15. Conservatism
Congress of Vienna began a conservative reaction determined to contain the liberal and nationalistic forces of the French revolution.
Conservatives hold to a general body of beliefs:
Favored obedience to political authority
Believed that organized religion was crucial to social order
Hated revolutionary upheavals
Unwilling to accept liberal demands for civil liberties, representative governments or nationalism.
Community over the individual
Society must be organized and ordered
In 1815 Europe this looked like hereditary monarchs, government bureaucracies, landowning nobles and revived churches.

16. The Congress will be tested
Concert of Europe
Developed out of fear of revolution and war at the Congress of Vienna.
A means to keep the status quo in Europe.
Periodic meetings between the quadruple alliance; Britain, Russia, Prussia and Austria- France was later added.
Intervention: meant that the great powers of Europe had the right to send armies into countries where there were revolutions, to make sure the legitimate monarchs were restored to the throne.
Britain refused to agree to this principle, stating it was not the Congress’ right to interfere in the affairs of other states, except in France;)
The Congress will be tested
In the 1830’s and 1840’s, will
They survive…

17. Great Britain: The Tories
In Britain was ruled by the noble landowners that dominated both houses of parliament.
This was no representative of the changing British population due to the Industrial Revolution, so many industrial cities had no representation.
The crown was not yet powerless, like today, but on its way.
2 political factions in Parliament- Tories and the Whigs- both dominated by the nobility, but the Whigs were beginning to get support from the industrial middle class.
Popular discontent began to arise because of severe economic problems, which would lead to reforms later in the 1830’s.

18. France
In 1814 the Bourbon family was restored to the throne of France- Louis XVIII was king.
He understood the need to accept some of the revolutionary and Napoleonic changes, like Napoleon’s civil code (equality before the law, property rights of women and a 2 house legislature).
Louis was opposed by radicals wanting more reform and ultraroyalists who did not like his moderation.
When Louis XVIII died, Charles X came to the throne, he was of the ultraroyalists and began moving the country more in that direction, granting lands and rights to the nobles.
France was on the brink of another revolution in 1830.

19. Italy and Spain
COV established 9 states in Italy- much of Italy was under Austrian domination and all the states had extremely reactionary governments, eager to squash liberal ideas.
Secret societies began to form and plot revolutions.
SPAIN
Bourbon dynasty was restored in Ferdinand VII, he agreed to observe the liberal constitution of 1812, which allowed for a legislative body, the Cortes.
He soon went back on his promises, tore up the constitution, dissolved the Cortes and persecuted its members, which led to a revolt.
The king once again promised to reinstate the constitution and Cortes, but Metternich’s policy of intervention rescued him and a French army forced the revolutionary government to flee and restored Ferdinand to his throne.

20. Central Europe
Vienna settlement of 1815 recognized 38 sovereign states in what had once been the HRE called the Germanic Confederation.
Austria and Prussia were the two great powers.
Prussia- Frederick William II instituted reforms during the Napoleonic era (abolished serfdom, municipal self government, expansion of education and universal military conscription) but became more reactionary following Metternich’s lead.
Liberal and nationalistic movements (university students/professors) formed the Burschenschaften- that wanted a free united Germany.
In 1819 Metternich passed the Karlsbad Decrees- shutting down the Burschenschaften, censored the press and placed universities under government control.
Austria- multinational state under the Hapsburg empire

21. Russia In 1815 Russia was largely rural, agricultural and autocratic.
Russian Tsar was a divine right monarch- Alexander I.
Raised during the enlightenment and began reforms, relaxed censorship, freed political prisoners and reformed the educational system.
Refused to free the serfs because it would anger the nobility.
After Napoleon’s defeat, Alexander became reactionary and undid many of his reforms.
Secret societies popped up in opposition to him.
His brother Nicholas took over and there was a revolt against him, the Decemberist Revolt, and he transformed from a conservative to a reactionary.
Strengthened the government, and the secret police. Deported suspicious people and censored the press.
He became the policeman of Europe, not only fearing revolutions at home, but all over Europe- he would use Russian troops to crush them should they arise.