THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA AND THE RESTORATION OF EUROPE

Chapter 23.5

What was the Congress of Vienna?

First Question:

The Congress of Vienna was a series of meetings of European heads of government looking to establish long-lasting peace and stability in Europe after the defeat of Napoleon.

When did the Congress of Vienna take place?

Question #2:

The Congress of Vienna took place from 1814 to 1815. It was originally supposed to last only four weeks. Instead, it went on for eight months! It was punctuated by Napoleon Bonaparte’s return to power from March to July 1814 (although work continued uninterrupted).

NAPOLEON WAS DEFEATED AT THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO, June 18th, 1814; a sigh of relief for the participants of the Congress of Vienna!

What was the purpose of the Congress of Vienna?

Question #3:

PURPOSE OF THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA TO PREVENT FURTHER FRENCH AGGRESSION

(CONTAINMENT)

TO “UNDO” THE CHANGES BROUGHT BY THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND NAPOLEON BONAPARTE and STOP THE SPREAD OF “DANGEROUS” IDEAS

TO RESTORE THE “OLD ORDER” OF MONARCHY AND ARISTOCRATIC POWER- LEGITiMACY

Perhaps most importantly: TO RESTORE THE

BALANCE OF POWER AMONG THE EUROPEAN STATES

Who were the major participants of the Congress of Vienna?

Question #4:

There were hundreds of participants in the Congress of Vienna, including kings, princes, dukes and duchesses; each with their own agenda, but only a handful of representatives made the real decisions.

The Five Great Powers Austria (the host country) Russia Prussia Great Britain France

PRINCE METTERNICHOF AUSTRIA

ARISTOCRATIC FOREIGN MINISTER OF AUSTRIA

WAS A CONSERVATIVE THE OLD ORDER OF MONARCHY

AND ARISTOCRATIC RULE WITH A STRONG BUREAUCRACY

OPPOSED THE IDEALS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: NATIONALISM & LIBERALISM SAW THEM AS A THREAT TO THE

BALANCE OF POWER IN EUROPE

“When France sneezes, all of Europe catches a cold.”

WAS SO INFLUENTIAL, THE PERIOD FROM 1814-1848 BECAME KNOWN AS THE AGE OF METTERNICH AND PLAN TO RESTORE PEACE TO EUROPE BECAME KNOWN AS THE METTERNICH SYSTEM

LORD ROBERT CASTLEREAGH OF GREAT BRITAIN BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER

SOUGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POWERS IN EUROPE WERE BALANCED

FEARED RUSSIAN, PRUSSIAN, AND

FRENCH POWER

“ENGLAND HAS NO PERMANENT

FRIENDS, ONLY PERMANENT

INTERESTS.”

CHARLES MAURICE DE TALLEYRANDOF FRANCE FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER SOUGHT TO PRESERVE FRENCH

TERRITORY GAINED BY NAPOLEON FOUGHT TO INCLUDE HIMSELF (AND

FRANCE) IN THE INNER NEGOTIATIONS

CZAR ALEXANDER I OF RUSSIA CONSIDERED

HIMSELF A GUARANTOR OF EUROPEAN SECURITY

SOUGHT TO GAIN CONTROL OVER ALL OF POLAND

HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY RELIGIOUS MYSTICISM

KING FREDERICK WILLIAM III OF PRUSSIA HE AND HIS MINISTERS

WERE ABLE TO SECURE IMPORTANT TERRITORIAL GAINS FOR PRUSSIA

BECAME A POLITICAL REACTIONARY AND RENEGED ON HIS PROMISE TO SUPPLY PRUSSIA WITH A CONSTITUTION

How did representatives at the C.O.V. plan to keep France in check?

Question #5

Nations around France were made stronger

The Austrian Netherlands and the Dutch Republic were combined to form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, providing for a strong country on France’s northern border

38 independent German states were joined together to create the German Confederation, providing a strong power to the east of France

Switzerland was recognized as an independent (but neutral) nation

The Kingdom of Sardinia was strengthened, providing for a strong power to the south of France

National boundaries were changed to contain France’s power

What was the goal of restoring the “balance of power”?

Question #6:

Balance of power is when nations have relatively the same amount of power which prevents any one nation from getting too powerful. It’s the best way of preventing war.

Redrawing the Map of Europe

What is the principle of legitimacy and how was it used by the Congress of Vienna?

Question #7:

Defining Legitimacy Legitimacy means lawful. A legitimate

ruler is one who has the right to rule whether it be because of his/her hereditary right to rule or the people give him/her the right to rule through a fair election.

During Napoleon’s rule, he had replaced many of the legitimate rulers and placed his siblings on the throne.

Illegitimate Rulers…e Jerome Bonaparte - King of Westphalia.e Joseph Bonaparte - King of Spaine Louise Bonaparte - King of Hollande Pauline Bonaparte - Princess of Italye Napoléon Francis Joseph Charles - King

of Romee Elisa Bonaparte - Grand Duchess of

Tuscanye Caroline Bonaparte - Queen of Naples

Example of restoring a legitimate ruler to the throne: LOUIS XVIII IS RESTORED AS THE BOURBON MONARCH OF FRANCE

What political philosophies clashed at the Congress of Vienna?

Question #8:

The Competing Philosophies at the Congress of Vienna

Conservatives- usually wealthy property owners and nobility. They argued for protecting the traditional monarchies of Europe. They want little to no change to the old order.

Liberals- mostly middle-class business leaders and merchants. They wanted to give more power to elected parliaments, but only the educated and the landowners would vote

In a nutshell, liberalism means wanting a constitution. Having a constitution gives power to the people, thereby taking power away from the monarchs and nobility. Constitutional reforms often coincided with demands for national self-determination

Radicals- favored drastic change to restore democracy to all people. They believed that governments should practice the ideals of the French Revolution: liberty, equality, fraternity

What is nationalism and why was it feared by the conservative representatives at the Congress of Vienna?

Question #9:

Nationalism Promoted national and cultural unity that

could become a political “reality” Language Ethnicity Territory Religion

French nationalism propelled Napoleon to power, but it also led to his downfall as countries under French domination eventually rebelled against Napoleon

Fear This! The conservative old order (Metternich and

the Congress of Vienna) feared nationalism’s threat to the balance of power in Europe

The emergence of new nation-states and the redrawing of national borders was seen as a threat to the major powers of Europe

Nationalism’s focus on democratic and liberal reforms also worried Europe’s power elite

Rising nationalism would create an environment of “aggression and conflict”

Did they have a right to be afraid? Look @ history- Bosnia/Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Russia

Is it possible to stop the spread of a “dangerous” idea?

Question # 10:

THE CARLSBAD DECREES IN THE GERMAN CONFEDERATION ISSUED IN 1819 SUPPRESSED ANY OPPOSITION TO

METTERNICH’S CONSERVATIVE POLICIES PRESS CENSORSHIP WAS IMPOSED

A SECRET POLICE AND SPY NETWORK KEPT TRACK OF AND ROOTED OUT OPPOSITION

THE GOVERNMENT CRACKED DOWN ON UNIVERSITIES (STUDENTS AND TEACHERS) WHICH OFTEN CHALLENGED GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND TENDED TO FAVOR A MORE LIBERAL COURSE

What was the Concert of Europe and what was its purpose?

Question #11:

The Concert of Europe The Concert of

Europe was a series of alliances devised by Metternich that assured nations would help one another if any revolution broke out.

THE QUADRUPLE ALLIANCE GREAT BRITAIN RUSSIA PRUSSIA AUSTRIA

Would briefly become the Quintuple Alliance when France joined, but Great Britain would eventually drop out over the argument of Greek independence (another example of the power of nationalism).

THE HOLY ALLIANCE 1815

Formed by Czar Alexander I, Emperor Francis I of Austria, and King William Francis I of Prussia to combat the forces of revolution (liberalism and nationalism)

They pledged to base their relationships with other nations on Christian principles

Short-lived

The Holy Alliance, 1815

Revolutions after the C.O.V. and the Revolutions of 1830/31 Liberal and nationalist revolts take place in Spain,

Portugal and Naples (1820) Greek War of Independence from Turkey (1821-29) Decembrist Revolt in Russia (1825) The burgeoning middle classes who derived their wealth

from commerce and industry had hoped for greater political power (at the expense of the old landed aristocracy.

1830-Revolution in France leads to the creation of a conservative constitutional monarchy

1830-Belgian revolt leads to independence from the Netherlands

1830- The Polish revolt against Russian rule

The Revolutions of 1848 Unrest starts in France. The French King is

deposed and the Second Republic is declared (short-lived, b/c in 1851 the nephew of Napoleon (Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte) stages a coup and declared himself Emperor Napoleon III)

Uprisings follow in Germany, Czech-speaking Bohemia, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Sicily, and even Vienna itself (home of the C.O.V.)

Prussians force King William Frederick IV to agree to the creation of a constitution and national assembly, and to support the goal of German unification

Most of these uprisings are crushed/short-lived

What was the legacy of the Congress of Vienna?

Question #12:

The Congress of Vienna… Short-term Success; Long-term Failure Influenced world politics for the next 100 years Led to peace in Europe for the next 18 years Decreased the size and power of France Increased the power of Britain and Prussia Increased nationalism in Italy, Germany, Greece, and

other areas put under foreign control- eventually leads to World War I

These nationalistic feelings would lead to revolutions in 1830/31 and 1848

These revolutions would lead to new nations being formed and the independence of Spanish colonies in the Americas.

The mulch story!