the congress of vienna ch. 23.5. the congress of vienna their goal was to establish security and...
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The Congress of Vienna
Ch. 23.5
The Congress of Vienna
• Their goal was to establish security and stability for the entire European continent.
• It was originally scheduled for 4 weeks, but it lasted 8 months.
The 5 Great Powers
• Prussia – King Frederick William III
• Russia– Czar Alexander I
• Austria– Emperor Francis I
• Britain – Foreign minister
• France– Foreign minister
Prince Klemens von Metternich
• Most influential person of Congress of Vienna.
• Foreign minister of Austria.
• “The first and greatest concern for the immense majority of every nation is the stability of laws – never their change.”
Metternich’s goals• 1) Wanted to prevent
future French aggression by surrounding France with strong countries.
• 2) Restore a balance of power so that no country would be a threat to others.
• 3) Wanted to restore Europe’s royal families to their thrones.
The Containment of France• Austrian Netherlands and Dutch
Republic joined to form the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• 39 German states joined together as the German Confederation.
• Switzerland was recognized as an independent country.
• The Kingdom of Sardinia was strengthened by adding the city of Genoa in Italy.
• These changes prevented France from overpowering weaker nations.
Balance of Power• The leaders did not want to weaken
France totally in case if France wanted revenge.
• The French were required to give up all territories Napoleon had taken.
• France remained with roughly the same boundaries as it had before.
• France also kept some of its overseas possessions, army, and government.
• As a result, France’s power was lessened, but it was still a major power in Europe.
Royal Families return
• In France, Louie XVI’s brother took the throne and became Louis XVIII.– Adopted a constitution and
ruled as a constitutional monarchy
• Bourbon rulers regained the Spanish throne.
• Hapsburg princes came to rule kingdoms in Northern Italy.
The Congress of Vienna believed that the return of the former monarchs would stabilize political relations among nations.
Political Triumph
• For the first time, the nations of an entire continent cooperated to control political affairs.
• The document was signed on June 13, 1815.
• None of the 5 great powers waged war on each other until 1853, in the Crimean War.
The Congress of Vienna created a time of peace in Europe.
• Britain and France were both now constitutional monarchies.
• Russia, Prussia, and Austria still ruled as absolute monarchs.
Alliances Form
• Holy Alliance (Russia, Prussia, and Austria)
• Concert of Europe (series of alliances devised by Metternich that assured nations would help each other if revolutions broke out.)
In France
• The Conservatives were happy with the restored monarchy of Louis XVIII.
• Liberals wanted the king to share more power with the Chamber of Deputies and to grant the middle class the right to vote.
• Many people in the lower class remained committed to the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity even though women and many poor men could not vote.
Explosive ideas
• In other countries, there was an explosive mixture of ideas.
• Groups would start to form that would contribute to revolutions in 1830 and 1848.
• Despite their efforts to undo the French Revolution, Europe had been given its first taste of democracy.
• Even though the democracy failed, this set new political ideas in motion.
Legacy
• The Congress of Vienna left a legacy that would influence politics for the next 100 years.
• France’s power decreased.
• Britain's and Prussia’s powers increased.
Nationalism
• Nationalism began to grow in Italy, Germany, and Greece.
• Eventually, these nationalistic feelings would explode into revolutions and new nations would be formed.
The Dawn of a New Era
• More and more principles of democracy were seen as the best way for equity and justice to prevail for all people.
• Europeans challenged the old economic patterns of taxation and property ownership and began to adopt more equal treatment for all.