Wiener Kongress - Congress of Vienna
(1814 - 1815)
The Congress of Vienna was an international
congress aiming to restore peace and to restructure Europe,
which was in a mess after almost two centennaries of war and
the monomanic attempts of Napoleon to conquer Europe. It was
a quest for a balance of powers, so that future wars and revolutions
could be prevented.
Decisions were made by the four superpowers Prussia, Russia,
Austria and Great Brittain. Due to diplomatic skill France,
too, was allowed to take part in decision making.
Representation was almost as important
at the Congress of Vienna as diplomacy. Festivities, balls
and dancing turned upper class Vienna into a frenzy for over
a year. This gave way to the saying: 'Le Congrès danse
et ne marche pas.'
The differences which had to become
where serious indeed. For a considerable time the aims of
the congress seemed to fall through. Finally, compromise was
hastened by Napoleon's flight from Elba, the island of his
captivity.
Klemens von Metternich - the era of
Biedermeier
Count Klemens von Metternich was souvereign
to Austrian emperor Franz I and one of the main diplomats
of the Viennese Congress. He backed up France's claims to
take part in the decision making process and supported the
idea of a German alliance ('Deutscher Bund'), an important
step towards a unified Germany even though the internal independance
of the various German counties was not questioned.
Apart from leading the Congress of
Vienna Metternich was a very conservative politician. He strove
to cement the Austrian monarchy by a strict rule of censorship
and repression. Those measures lead to the era of Biedermeier.
The masses were poor and even well-settled families enjoyed
little personal freedom. Art was reduced to the portrayal
of the idyllic, the theatre popular albeit heavily censored.
Waltzing and operettas were harmless and immensely fashionable
pastimes. Strauss sr.
and other composers competed for fame.
Results of the Congress of Vienna
- French returned territories gained
by Napoleon from 1795 - 1810.
- Russia extended its powers and
received souveranity over Poland and Finland.
- Prussia lost its claims over Poland,
but extended its territory towards the West (Westphalia
and the Rhyne Province)
- Austria, too, did extend its territory.
Venetia, for example, was handed over to the Habsburg family.
However, due to the increase of power of other European
powers (Russia and Prussia) the Austrian monarchy rather
lost in significance.
- Austrian Netherlands were unified
with the Kingdom of Netherlands under the House of Orange.
- Bavaria and Hannover gained territories.
- Saxony was punished for its alliance
with France and lost some territory to Prussia.
- Norway and Sweden were joined.
- Switzerland was declared neutral.
- Britain gained control over several
strategic colonies and become the first superpower of the
world.
- The balance of power was sort of
successful... For 40 years Europe was peaceful. However,
this stability was achieved at the price of personal freedom
of the population of the major European powers.
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