The Congress of ViennaEurope After Napoleon and the Restoration

After Napoleons defeat and exile, Europe’s most powerful nations (the “Big Four”, Austria, Britain, Russia, Prussia and France) decided they had to divide the continent in such a way that no country had hegemony (dominance) over the other nations. They also wanted to make sure no more revolutions took place (especially liberal revolutions, such as the French one had been).

Problems they need to resolve•France has no Head or Government•What to do with the territories that belonged to the Napoleonic Empire •What system of Government should be introduced within these territories

• Compensation• –Napoleon’s enemies rewarded with land• –Other nations compensated for land taken• –Redrew the map of Europe• Legitimacy• –Restoration of pre-Napoleon rulers• –House of Bourbon –France, Spain, and the two Sicilies• –House of Braganza –Portugal• –House of Orange –Netherlands• –House of Savoy –Sardinia• –German princes –territories in the Confederation of the

Rhine• –Pope and Catholic Church –Papal States