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RobertC
Mr.R
SocialStudies84
6March2016
CongressofVienna
TheCongressofViennawasacommitteethatwasformedinSeptember1815and
chairedbyMetternichinViennaofnationsandrepresentatives:TallyrandfromFrance,
KingFredrickWilliamfromPrussia,TsarAlexanderfromRussia,EmperorFrancisI
fromAustria,andLordCastlereaughfromGreatBritain.Inthiscommittee,allnations
deliberatedonlandclaims,peacetreaties,andalliancesthatwouldstabilizeEuropeafter
theabdicationofNapoleonBonapartein1815atWaterloo.Theallies:Prussia,Russia,
Austria,andGreatBritainhadbeenalliedtodefeattheimpetuousandambitious
Napoleon,howeverinvitedFranceinthecongressasbeingstillaverypowerfulnationto
voicetheiropinionsonthedeliberation.MetternichhadthreegoalsthatwouldsetEurope
toapeacefulstate.Thesegoalsweretorestorelegitimacytoroyalfamilies,stabilize
EuropeafterNapoleonsdefeat,andtopreventanyambitiousrisingsfromFranceagain.
TheCongressofViennasetouttorestorelegitimacywhereitwasabolishedper
theirconservativeagendastorestorepeacetoEurope(i.e.Francesetonarepublic).
However,insomeofthesestates,theFrenchRevolutionsbroughtinproliberalviews:
themonarchshouldbelimited,championedrightsofthecommonpeople,independence,
etc.However,theCongressofVienna,havingamindsettowardapeacefulandbalanced
Europe,wasaproponentofabsolutism.Intheory,thisdisagreementwoulddefeatthe

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purposeofbalancingEuropeiftheseliberaldemandsofthepeoplewouldnotbemet.
Metternichwouldthenhavetocompensateforthisfearthatarevolutionmaysparkagain
andnationalismwouldrunrampantonceagainthroughoutEurope.Metternichdidhavea
plan.
AsMetternichheadedtheCongressofVienna,theleadersofthenationssought
outtobringorderandstabilizationafterNapoleonsabdication.Additionallythecongress
deliberatedonlandclaimsmetafterthedefeat,whichcouldrewardthevictoriousallies
(asperthepaymentofFrance)andsuppressanyfutureuprisingsbecauseofthe
devastatingeffectsoftheFrenchRevolution.Thelandclaimsweregivenasconcessions
inthegoalofprovidingsomestabilityinnationsandunitythatcouldbringthesenations
together.Onthesametoken,theseagreementsthatwouldstabilizeEuropewouldneedto
bemetbysomehigherpowerthatwouldlimitFrenchaggression.Assuch,theCongress
ofViennawasakintoawelloiledmachine,createdwiththepurposetomeetthe
demandsofthevictoriousalliesthatwouldbringaboutpeacethroughoutEurope.Europe
neededsomethingthatwouldmeetthesedemands,andtheCongressofViennawasa
beaconthatcouldbringEuropebackontrackonceagainwithlandclaimsbeingmetfor
thecomplacencyofnationsandabalanceofpowerwhereinnationswouldnothaveto
fightforthesedemands.
Finally,thesenationshadtodeliberateonwaystolimitFranceinwaysto
suppressanydesiresofambition.Inturn,thiswouldbringaboutorderinEuropeas
describedabove.However,FrancewaswelltreatedintheCongressofVienna,and
retaineditsnationallandaswellassomeoverseasterritories.Anyilltreatmentofastill

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quitepowerfulandimpetuousFrancecouldeasilyfightthenationsinthenameofpower
andliberalagendas.Thesenationswerelowonwarbudgetsastheirmoneywaspoured
intoresourcestocombatanambitiousFrance.TheQuadrupleAllianceofnationswould
limitthispowerinfearofadditionalFrenchnationalism,whichcouldhavepotentially
arisen.MetternichstrengthenedsomeoftheweakerandsmallernationsaroundFranceto
limittheirreachofpower.AHolyAllianceandtheConcertofEuropeestablishedby
Metternichwerereallycreatedinfearofanotherrevolution.TheCongressofViennawas
quiteeffectiveandefficientinlimitinganyofthesedesiresandbroughtabouteffective
peaceinEuropeforabout40years.
Inconclusion,thisCongressofViennawasquiteeffectiveinmeetingtheinterests
ofthenationsinvolvedinEuropewhilealsobringingorderandstabilitybacktoEurope
afterNapoleonsabdicationin1814.Thefearofrevolutioncouldbesuppressedunderthe
ConcertofEuropeandtheQuadrupleallianceinlieuofstrippingmorepowerofFrance.
Albeitsomeofthesesuccesses,theideasoffreedomandindependencealsoresonated
withtheAmericasandtheSpanishandledthemtotheirrespectiverevolutions.The
EuropeanleadersintheCongressofViennahadtoaccountforthedevastatingeffectsby
bringingordertoEurope.ThethreegoalstheCongressofViennawassetonreaching
werebringingbacklegitimacy,orderandstabilitytoEurope,andcontainmentofthe
ambitiousFrance.