Napoleon Bonaparte and his revolutionary army had reshaped the political map of Europe. With France defeated, it was now up to the rest of the world to sort out the chaos that had left the continent. The «Congress of Vienna» was convened in 1814 to discuss the future of Europe after Napoleon.
Vienna Congress definition
Of the «Congress of Vienna» found from September 18, 1814 to June 9, 1815 at the Palais am Ballhausplatz in Vienna. It was one peace congress the European ruler, with whom over the future of Europe after the end of napoleonic supremacy was decided.
Vienna Congress Prehistory
Since the French Revolution 1789 was Europe from the military conflicts between France and the absolutist rulers of the continent (monarchs, princes, etc.).
the French revolutionary army led by Napoleon Bonaparte could her supremacy increasingly expand. In the years of 1792 to 1813 conquered France in the «Coalition Wars» large parts of Europe (including Spain, Italy and the German states) and thus structured the political map of the continent completely over.
Europe after Napoleon
After Napoleons devastating defeat in the «Battle of Leipzig» 1813 won the absolutist powers Austria, Prussia, Russia and Great Britain regain the upper hand in Europe. In 1814 they finally managed to defeat Napoleon and banish him into exile. in the «First Peace of Paris» from the May 30, 1814 were the long lasting acts of war on the continent finally for completed explained.
But the years of Napoleonic rule and the territorial expansion of France had left their mark on Europe – it ruled territorial and political chaos.
Congress of Vienna 1814/15
The victorious powers made it their top priority to clean up the mess left in their wake by Napoleon. In September 1814, Austria, Prussia, Great Britain and Russia invited to the «Congress of Vienna» to decide on the future of Europe.
The four victorious powers mentioned here were also the great powers, i.e. the most influential and powerful states in Europe.
Vienna Congress participants
Appeared at the Peace Congress Representatives from around 200 European countriesto discuss and negotiate the fortunes of Europe.
For the four victorious powers present were for example:
Great Britain: Foreign Secretary Robert Stewart Viscount Castlereagh
Prussia: Foreign Minister Prince Karl August von Hardenberg
Russia: Tsar Alexander I
Austria: Foreign Minister Prince Klemens Wenzel Lothar von Metternich (Chairman and head of the Vienna Congress)
in the later In the course of the negotiations, thanks to the efforts of Metternich and Castlereagh, France was also included in the circle of great powers recorded. As a representative was the French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord present at the congress.
Prince of Metternich
Prince Klemens von Metternich served as leader and board of directors decisive at all important decisionswhich were met at the Vienna Congress. His political views were defining in the negotiation processes and in the decisions made.
And also in the period after the Congress of Vienna Metternich decidedly supported the fuse of the European political order newly created at the conference. The political system (with all its measures)the same accomplish backup should, was therefore even named after him – the «Metternich system» or «System Metternich».
Metternich established himself through the Congress of Vienna as one of the most important politicians in Europe and had a decisive influence on the time after Napoleon.
You can find out more about Klemens von Metternich and everything to do with the Metternich system in the «Prince of Metternich» declaration here on !
Who had the decision-making power at the Vienna Congress?
Even though representatives from around 200 countries traveled to the Congress of Vienna, only they least from that real influence on the future of Europe.
as victorious powers and/or great powers Europe, Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, Russia and France dominated the negotiations and the most important decisions were from them met and or approved. The other states only had one rather limited say.
Vienna Congress goals
Basically, the Congress of Vienna had four major goals:
- Territorial reorganization of Europe: Those postponed or dissolved by Napoleon limits should be reset.
- return to «old order»: Of the absolutism and princely rule should be rebuilt.
- Restoring the balance of power: That by Napoleon disturbed balance of power between the great European powers should be restored and balanced will.
- Peacekeeping: Measures should be taken to long-term peacekeeping be met in Europe.
In the run-up to the actual negotiations, however, the participants agreed on five guiding principles, on the basis of which they then made all subsequent decisions.
1st principle: restoration
Through the restoration should the old conditions on the continent from before the French Revolution 1789 restored as best as possible. Especially the Restoration of the «old order» (also: Ancien Régime) and with that absolutism and the princely rule was aimed for by the congress participants.
2nd principle: legitimacy
the legitimacy (legitimacy) was actually the justification for the restorationbecause the principle of legitimacy said that the princely rule through justified by the grace of God was.
3rd principle: Solidarity
Under the principle of solidarity should all European princes assure mutual supportit should reconnect revolutionary riots come in a country.
4th principle: balance of power
This principle aims to balance the European great powers away. It should be one balance of power be created to re supremacy one individual state to prevent.
The balance of power was one of Prince Klemens von Metternich’s main concerns. As head of the congress, he campaigned vehemently for the implementation of this principle.
5th principle: Compensation
The principle of compensation saw the compensation of the princes before, who had suffered under Napoleon and his conquests – for example all those who territorial expropriated became. In most cases they were territorial settlements as compensation offered.
You can find out more about the individual principles in the «Legitimacy & Restoration» declaration here in the learning set for the «Congress of Vienna»!
So these five principles formed the cornerstone of the negotiations at the Congress of Vienna.
As you may have noticed, most of the principles in favor of the nobility written (restoration, legitimacy, compensation) and that is not surprising, because all participants of the Congress came from the nobility.
They were all rulers and princeswho had suffered from Napoleon’s «anti-absolute» aspirations and now theirs reclaim ancient power. With the decision-making power back in their hands, they wanted that absolutismthe supremacy of the nobility and the privileges of the nobility strengthen and also for secure the future.
Congress of Vienna resolutions
The Congress of Vienna was very tedioussince every nation has its own interests wanted to enforce. But finally, after almost nine months of the negotiations, was June 9, 1815 the «Vienna Congress Act» passed, which contained the following resolutions:
Congress of Vienna – Restoration
One of the resolutions was that «Restoration».
The resolution bore the same name as that guiding principlesince it was largely based on it and contained concrete measures for the implementation of the principle.
Restoration of the «old order»
In all European countries the absolutisms and thus also the Princely rule restoredso as to his nobility old privileges and his Makes to play back. Many countries received theirs old ruler return.
Incidentally, the term «restoration policy» summarizes all political actions and measures that were taken at that time to enforce and secure the restoration.
Territorial reorganization
Also with the restoration was the territorial reorganization of Europe decided. Many of the old borderswhich Napoleon tore down restored – for example in Portugal, Spain and also mostly in Italy. And important: too France received his pre-revolutionary borders again!
Elsewhere were territorial balances created to the balance of power to reinstate.
Austria ceded the Austrian Netherlands (today: Belgium) to the Netherlands and received Tyrol, Carinthia, Salzburg and large parts of northern Italy in return. Finland and Poland were awarded to Russia. The Kingdom of Prussia expanded to include the northern part of Saxony, the province of Westphalia and the Grand Duchy of the Lower Rhine. So went ahead of everyone Territorially strengthened Russia and Prussia from the Congress of Vienna.
balance of power
With the territorial reorganization one thing should primarily be achieved: that balancing of power relations on the continent since the strength of a state also at the size of its territory measure.
In addition, the so-called «pentarchy» – the “five rulers” of the great powers Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, France and Russia – decided to for one stable balance of power to take care of on the continent. The five powers should each other to keep under control and so the renewed hegemony (Superior power, supremacy) of a single state impede.
If two or more European states were in a conflict, the great powers should mediate diplomatically between the conflicting parties.
This also applied when two of the great powers faced each other. Then it was the task of the remaining three to settle the dispute
Even if the restoration aimed at renewing the «old conditions», restoring the pre-revolutionary status quo 1 to 1 was no longer possible. In terms of territory in particular, Napoleon had brought about some drastic changes that could no longer be reversed. The participants tried to get back to the old conditions, but there was no complete regression to the time before 1789.
Congress of Vienna – German Confederation
Compared to the other European countries, the territorial location of the German states quite complicated, why the «German question» at the Congress of Vienna separately was treated.
Napoleon had 1803 the so-called Reichsdeputationshauptschluss enacted Through the specified therein…