Congress of Vienna

The Congrès of Vienna is a conference of the diplomatic representatives of the European great powers which took place in Vienna of October 1st 1814 with the June 9th 1815. The victorious countries of Napoleon adopt the principle of returning to the countries their borders of before the French revolution of 1789 except installations. It makes following the treated of Paris of the May 30th 1814. Treaty of Vienna allows also discussion on other points like freedom of movement naval, abolition of Milked blacks (and not of the Esclavage), which persists however, and the setting in front of the neutrality of Switzerland.

Participants

All monarchical Europe flows to Vienna. Fifteen members of royal families côtoient two hundred diplomatic princes and two hundred and sixteen mission leaders. Many lobbies are also present: representatives of the Jews of Germany, knights of Malta, abolitionists of the Draft of the Blacks, without counting the inventors of receipts for… ensuring the peace of the world. Many congressmen know only the festival of it, because the “congress has fun” in continual receptions. There were almost no plenary sessions. The discussions and the decisions are caught elsewhere. The four winners of Napoleon i (Austria, Prussia, the United Kingdom and Russia) had decided to reserve the “serious things”. France succeeds in being essential and making enter three other European countries (Spain, Portugal and Sweden).

The congress gathers the large diplomats of the time:

Metternich for the Empire of Austria;
Talleyrand for the France;
Lord Castlereagh, then the duke of Wellington, then Lord Clancarty for the the United Kingdom;
the cardinal Consalvi, Cardinal Secretary of State, for the Pope Black and white VII;
the prince Karl August von Hardenberg for the Prussia;
the tsar Alexandre I {{er}} of Russia and the count de Nesselrode carrying out the Russian diplomacy in person

Ambitions and operations of the European powers

The congress of Vienna is the diplomatic “battle field” where the European powers try to satisfy their ambitions while thwarting those their old allies against Napoleon i. Two great antagonisms appear: that of Russia and the United Kingdom, that of Austria and Prussia. France, then overcome, tries to find a place of foreground.

Russia and the United Kingdom, while having sights on the rehandling of the European chart have world aimings. The secular dream of the Russian government to approach Western Europe, requires the annexation of most of the Poland, with the detriment of the Royaume of Prussia. Russia would see itself well chairing an European Federation and becoming of this fact the European giant. Russia is tempted to dismember the Ottoman Empire in order to approach the straits of the the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, solution which would offer the access to the Mediterranean, to the great displeasure of the British, main navy of this sea. Moreover Russians follow a very active policy in the Pacific, of which they are bordering in Siberia and Alaska. The the United Kingdom wants to preserve the maritime supremacy acquired during the wars of the Révolution and of the Empire, that supposes the maintenance of the division of Europe, which makes it possible to weaken the Russian claims. The United Kingdom is also favorable to a reinforcement of the power of Prussia in Germany which would make obstacle with the Russian influence in Europe. Russians and British are in competition in the Ottoman Empire and Central Asia with the Russian projection towards the Caspian Sea and that of the British in Afghanistan.

Prussia and Austria dispute supremacy in Germany. Austria does not want an enlarging of the Royaume of Prussia to the detriment of the king de Saxe, faithful combined of Napoleon i: increase which would make it be neighborly immediately with Prussia. For Austria the parcelling out of Germany remains a need. Prussia as for it accepts a Russian slip in Poland provided that Saxony is granted to him (Russo-Prussian agreement of Kalisz of February 28th, 1813). Austria is hostile with the Russian policy in Balkans (protection of the Slavic minorities of the Ottoman Empire) which it regards as exclusive domain. It receives for this position the support of the United Kingdom, which also wants to prevent the Russians from at sea settling to him the Mediterranean.

Overcome power France tries to reduce the territorial cost of its defeat and to find its place in the European concert of the legitimate sovereigns. Talleyrand obtains to be able to take part in the conferences initially reserved to the four winners. For that he promises with Castlereagh to support the British position on the prohibition of the Traite blacks. Also it is favorable to the re-establishment of the Bourbons in the Royaume of Deux-Siciles which the British defend (Austria wishes the maintenance on the throne of Naples of its recent allied Joachim Murat). Talleyrand obtains the participation of Sweden, of Spain and of Portugal to the meetings of the large , that enables him to have allies vis-a-vis the winners. It succeeds in alluring Metternich by supporting it in the maintenance of a kingdom of Saxony, awkward for Prussia, n the other hand of the annexation by Prussia of the Rhineland (what from now on made of Prussia the immediate neighbor of France!). For that it signs on January 3rd, 1815, with Austria and the United Kingdom a secret treaty intended to counter Russia and Prussia in Germany.

Territorial modifications

It is the anglo-Austrian vision which carries it: research of European balance and return of the legitimate kings. The “aspirations of the people to be had themselves” (principle of the French revolution) either by independence (Belgium, Poland, Christians of Balkans), or by the unification (Italy and partly Germany) are not taken into account; it is the same of the wish of part of Europeans to take part in a democratic life in their country. The secret societies (in particular the Italian Carbonari) will be able to thrive on this refusal of the novel ideas.

One speaks about the introduction of a Ordre of Vienna .

the France is practically brought back to its borders of 1791, having to give up territories of French language like the Savoy and the Belgium and of Italian language as the Comté of joined together Nice in France before the Napoleonean adventure:

With the first Congress, it remained however vaster than before 1789, because it preserved Mulhouse, some Lorraine principalities, part of the Saar and Palatinat and Avignon with the Comtat;
With the second Congress, because one still withdraws Landau to him on the Rhine, like some Belgian places.
Moreover France is supervised closely by a belt of buffer states intended to prohibit very begun again of a revolutionary and expansionist policy (Kingdom of the Netherlands, Royaume of Sardinia, and Rhenish possessions of the Royaume of Prussia installed at the same borders of France).

the Belgium, Flemish French-speaking person and , Catholic, is integrated into the United Provinces to form the Netherlands (current Bénélux, 1815 - 1830). In exchange of its German possessions (Fulda, Nassau), Guillaume Ier of the Netherlands receives with personal capacity the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. The Kingdom of the Netherlands preserves the colonial field of the United Provinces, amputee of Ceylon, the Cape and the Guyana, preserved by the British government, which also keeps the island of Heligoland.

the chart of the Germany is simplified. The Germanic Confédération (fine in 1866) gathers the territories of old the Holy roman Empire, divided into 39 States (for 350 in 1792): the Germanic part of the Empire of Austria, five kingdoms (Prussia, Saxony, Wurtemberg, Hanover, Bavaria), twelve principalities, seven Grand Duchies and four cities free (Lübeck, Bremen, Hamburg and Frankfurt. The Prussia obtains Western Prussia, the Posnanie, the northern half of the Saxony and most of the provinces of the Rhineland and Westphalia in order to constitute a rampart against the France. The duchy of Hanover is restored with king d' Angleterre, is increased and set up in kingdom.

Austria recovers the majority of the territories which it had lost and, in compensation of the loss of the Austrian Netherlands (the current Belgium), receives German and Italian territories (Lombardy and Venezia), just as the part of the Dalmatie which belonged before to Venice (Provinces illyriennes under Napoleon).

the Suisse loses Mulhouse definitively (allied free city with the Swiss cantons, attached to France in 1798), the Valteline and the area of Bormio (attached to Lombardy); its perpetual Neutralité is proclaimed. The Jurassic possessions of the évêché of Basle are allotted to Bern in compensation of the country of Vaud, whose independence as canton is reconnue.
Les cantons of the republic of Geneva, of the principality of Neuchâtel (which remains nevertheless the personal property of king de Prusse until 1848) and of the Valais (department of the Simplon in the Napoleonean Empire) definitively unite with the Swiss Confédération. The independence and the neutrality of the Suisse are guaranteed by the creation of a rather loose confederation. Each canton chooses its constitution and almost all return to the mode in force before the Revolution.

In Italy, the lombard-Venetian kingdom becomes Austrian. The Maison of Savoy recovers the Piedmont, Nice and the Savoy and enters in possession of Genoa. The pope finds the Papal States but, in spite of the efforts of its representative Consalvi, can recover neither the Comtat, nor Avignon. The Bourbon Ferdinand Ier finds its kingdom of Deux-Siciles. The duchies of Parma, Pleasure and Guastalla are allotted to the wife of Napoleon, Marie-Louise of Austria. Modena and the Toscane is allotted to Habsbourg (Ferdinand III of Lorraine, large-duke of Tuscany and François IV of Este-Lorraine, duke of Modena). The return of the legitimate sovereigns is accompanied everywhere by the former political regime. Austria holds garrison in the citadels of Plaisance, Ferrare and Comacchio.

the new Swedish dynasty (Bernadotte) receives the Norway, old Danish possession at the end of an agreement guaranteeing to this one a broad autonomy and a distinct government (Convention of Moss). The Swedish Poméranie is attached to Prussia. The Finland is annexed to the Russia. The Denmark receives the Lauenburg in the Schleswig-Holstein.

the Poland is divided fourth once. The Russia is principal the recipient. The Prussia preserves only the Posnanie and the Western Prussia (Dantzig, Thorn). The Austria obtains the Galicie and the Lodomérie, in the south of the the Vistula, except for Cracow which becomes an independent city-republic. All the remainder of old the Poland passes under the authority of the tsar Alexandre Ier of Russia. The Eastern provinces (Lithuania, Bielorussia, old Polish Ukraine) are incorporated in the Russian Empire. Central Poland, with Warsaw, form a United Kingdom with the Russia with for viceroy the brother of the tsar, the Large-duke Constantin, but having his own constitution, its government (Diet and Council of State), its administration and its army: the Poland of the Congress.

the the United Kingdom, claims anything in Europe, neither for him nor for its allies, the Portugal and the Spain, where the kings are restored.

It obtains the creation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which puts Antwerp definitively, competitor potential of London, with the shelter of French covetousnesses.
With personal capacity, the king of England, sees the Hanover, which belonged to him, increases and transformed into kingdom.
On the other hand, the United Kingdom prepares its future of first world power while making sure of the control of the seas and by increasing its colonial empire. It preserves its conquests of Guyana (removed with the Dutchmen) and of the Antilles (Tobago and St Lucia taken to the French and Trinité taken to the Spaniards). Especially the United Kingdom occupies of the strategic positions: Héligoland (taken in Denmark) which enables him to control the North Sea and the access to the Baltic. In the Mediterranean, it seizes the island Malta (taken with the Ordre of Malta), and the islands Ioniennes which belonged a long time to Venice what enables him to supervise the Ottoman Empire. On the road of the Indies, the United Kingdom seizes the Cape and Ceylon (removed with the Dutchmen) and the island of France - aujourd' today Mauritius - removed in France.

Many small princely States disappear, victims of the appetites of the winners. The liberal ideas (revolutionary) marked however the spirits and remain present in spite of their negation by the powers reactionaries.

References

the Congress of Vienna and treaties of 1815, preceded and followed diplomatic acts which are attached to it; 1863/1864; editor: Amyot; Paris; 4 vol. by Leonard Chodźko

External bond

Chart animated on Europe of the Congress of Vienna
www.atlas-historique.net: Europe of Vienna

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