The Congress of Vienna - Timeline

  • The Congress assembled between 1814–15 to restructure Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. It began in September 1814, five months after Napoleon’s first abdication and his exile to Elba

  • The “Final Act” was completed in June 1815, shortly before the Battle of Waterloo - the final defeat of Napoleon.

  • Napoleon arrived to his final exile on the island of St. Helena, October 15, 1815

OBVERSE. - The Flight of Napoleon from Elba is here emblematically expressed by an Eagle with a thunder-bolt, advancing to the French coast from the isle of Elba. The broken down doors of the temple of Janus shadow out the rupture of the general Peace consequent on Bonaparte's flight. The date of this flight is February 26, 1815.
REVERSE. - Mercury (the fabled Messenger of the Gods) is carrying an account of the event throughout Europe, with an invitation, "TO ARMS." On the face of the Medal is marked "DECLARATION OF THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA." On the exergue is the date of the Declaration "13TH MARCH."

A NEW EUROPEAN ORDER WAS FORMED AT THE
CONGRESS OF VIENNA

  • The “primary goal” of the Congress of Vienna 

    • To establish peace and security in Europe after the Napoleonic Wars

  • A series of meetings in Vienna, Austria to establish peace and security in Europe

    • The meetings lasted 8 months; they were originally scheduled to last just 4 weeks

    • The meetings were held in the winter months of 1814-1815

POWERFUL RULERS MEET AT VIENNA

  • King Frederick William III of Prussia

    • ruler of Prussia

  • Czar Alexander I of Russia

    • ruler of Russia

  • Emperor Francis I of Austria

    • ruler of Austria

  • Britain and France sent foreign ministers

THE KEY LEADER  “THE MAN ” AT VIENNA

The “Foreign Minister” of Austria

  • He distrusted the democratic ideas

    • of the French Revolution

    • He believed that French democracy was directly responsible for the rise of Napoleon’s dictatorship

  • He believed that a nation’s stability is found in its traditional or established law 

    • Attempting to change them would lead to instability

  • His idea for European Peace included:

    • Surround France with strong nations, to contain France

    • Balance the powers of European nations

    • Restore Europe’s royal families to their thrones

THE PLAN TO CONTAIN FRANCE

  • The Kingdom of the Netherlands was created

    • From the Austrian Netherlands and Dutch Republic

  • A German Confederation was created

    • 39 German states dominated by Austria

  • Switzerland was recognized as an independent nation

  • Kingdom of Sardinia was strengthened 

    • By the addition of Genoa in Italy

THE PRINCIPLE OF LEGITIMAC

Restoring European kings to their rightful thrones

  • At Vienna there was an agreement that many of the kings or rulers removed by Napoleon should be restored to power

    • In France Louis XVIII was restored as a constitutional monarch

  • Ferdinand VII (Bourbon ruler) reclaimed the Spanish throne 

    • Joseph Napoleon brother of Napoleon was removed

THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA BALANCED THE POWERS OF EUROPE

  • The Congress of Vienna did not punish France too much

    • It punished France without going to far (for fear of future revenge)

    • It didn’t seek a weak France to upset the balance of power in Europe

  • France remained intact and kept:

    • It’s army

    • Overseas  possessions

    • It’s independent government

  • A BALANCED EUROPE - NO COUNTRY in Europe could easily overpower another 

  • The settlements were fair, no country left bearing a grudge

  • It did not sow the seeds of future wars

    • On that point it was more successful than many other European peace agreement before it

  • Seemingly for the first time, there was spirit of cooperation among European nations and peace lasted until 1853

  • The Congress of Vienna concluded, June 1815

FEARING THE LEGACY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

  • Was formed to subdue potential revolutions that might arise within the participating countries of Russia, Austria, and Prussia

    It was a loose agreement that bound these countries together for mutual protection

  • Metternich called it the Concert of Europe where Russia, Austria, and Prussia would send military aide to the other, if a revolution were to break out within any one of the other nations

    Conservatives maintained power over European governments

    Constitutional Monarchies

    Of Western Europe

  • Britain

  • France

    • Louis XVIII ruled France as a constitutional monarch

  • Leaders at the Congress of Vienna could not turn back the clock. 

  • The French Revolution had given Europe its first “failed” experiment in democratic government. 

  • But liberal ideas remained.

Conservatives

Of Eastern Europe

  • Russia, Austria, and Prussia

    • ruled by absolute monarchs

Liberal ideas rooted in the French Revolution remained in Europe

  • Liberals in France wanted king Louis XVIII to share more power with the Chamber of Deputies 

    • and grant the middle class the right to vote

  • In Austria, Prussia, and the small German states, a mixture of liberal ideas led to revolutions in 1830 and 1848.