10-12 and 10-13 Monday Tue

 10-12 and 10-13 Monday Tue 

Congress of Vienna and the Fall of the French Empire mr mac short video 

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The Congress of Vienna: Crash Course European History #23

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The Congress of Vienna METTERNICH’S PLANS FOR EUROPE 

 What was the Congress of Vienna? In 1814, leaders of many nations met to draw up a peace plan for Europe. This series of meetings was called the Congress of Vienna. The most important person at the Congress of Vienna was the foreign minister of Austria, Klemens von Metternich. He shaped the peace conditions that were finally accepted. Metternich had three goals at the congress. First, he wanted to make sure that the French would not attack another country again. Second, he wanted a balance of power in which no one nation was strong enough to threaten other nations. Third, he wanted legitimacy. This meant restoring monarchs to the thrones they had before Napoleon’s conquests. The other leaders agreed with Metternich’s ideas. Metternich achieved his first goal when the congress strengthened the small nations that surrounded France. Meanwhile, France was not punished too severely. It remained independent and kept some overseas possessions. This helped achieve Metternich’s second goal to create a balance of power. The congress also worked to fulfill Metternich’s third goal. Many rulers were returned to power in states throughout Europe, including France. The Congress of Vienna created very successful peace agreements. None of the great powers fought against one another for 40 years. Some did not fight in a war for the rest of the century. Terms and Names Congress of Vienna Meetings in Vienna for the purpose of restoring order to Europe Klemens von Metternich Key leader at the Congress of Vienna balance of power Condition in which no one country becomes a threat to the other legitimacy Bringing back to power the kings that Napoleon had driven out Holy Alliance League formed by Russia, Austria, and Prussia Concert of Europe Series of alliances to help prevent revolution Before You Read In the last section, you saw how Napoleon’s empire collapsed. In this section, you will learn how the rest of Europe reacted to both the French Revolution and Napoleon’s rise and fall. 

.1 What three goals did Metternich have? ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ 

POLITICAL CHANGES BEYOND VIENNA  How did European leaders respond to the effects of the French Revolution? Many European rulers were nervous about the effects of the French Revolution. In 1815, Czar Alexander of Russia, Emperor Francis I of Austria, and King Frederick William III of Prussia formed the Holy Alliance. Other alliances created by Metternich were called the Concert of Europe. The idea of these alliances was for nations to help one another if revolution came. Across Europe, conservatives held control of European governments. Conservatives were people who opposed the ideals of the French Revolution. They also usually supported the rights and powers of royalty. They did not encourage individual liberties. They did not want any calls for equal rights. But many other people still believed in the ideals of the French Revolution. They thought that all people should be equal and share in power. Later they would again fight for these rights. People in the Americas also felt the desire for freedom. Spanish colonies in the Americas revolted against the restored Spanish king. Many colonies won independence from Spain. National feeling grew in Europe, too. Soon people in areas such as Italy, Germany, and Greece would rebel and form new nations. 

The French Revolution had changed the politics of Europe and beyond. 2. What happened to ideas about freedom and independence? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ ______________________________

Read the passage below and list 5 main points 

SETTING THE STAGE European heads of government were looking to 

establish long-lasting peace and stability on the continent after the defeat of 

Napoleon. They had a goal of the new European order — one of collective secu- 

rity and stability for the entire continent. A series of meetings in Vienna, known 

as the Congress of Vienna , were called to set up policies to achieve this goal. 

Originally, the Congress of Vienna was scheduled to last for four weeks. Instead, 

it went on for eight months.

Metternich's Plan for Europe 

Most of the decisions made in Vienna during the winter of 1814-1815 were 

made in secret among representatives of the five “great powers” — Russia, 

Prussia, Austria, Great Britain, and France. By far the most influential of these 

representatives was the foreign minister of Austria, Prince Klemens von 

Metternich (MEHT-uhr-nihk). 

Metternich distrusted the democratic ideals of the French Revolution. Like 

most other European aristocrats, he felt that Napoleon’s behavior had been a nat- 

ural outcome of experiments with democracy. Metternich wanted to keep things 

as they were and remarked, “The first and greatest concern for the immense 

majority of every nation is the stability of laws — never their change.” Metternich 

had three goals at the Congress of Vienna. First, he wanted to prevent future 

French aggression by surrounding France with strong countries. Second, he 

wanted to restore a balance of power , so that no country would be a threat to 

others. Third, he wanted to restore Europe’s royal families to the thrones they had 

held before Napoleon’s conquests. 

The Containment of France The Congress took the following steps to make 

the weak countries around France stronger: 

• The former Austrian Netherlands and Dutch Republic were united to form the 

Kingdom of the Netherlands. 

• A group of 39 German states were loosely joined as the newly created 

German Confederation, dominated by Austria. 

• Switzerland was recognized as an independent nation. 

• The Kingdom of Sardinia in Italy was strengthened by the addition of 

Genoa.

Balance of Power Although the leaders of Europe wanted to weaken France, they Europe, 

did not want to leave it powerless. If they severely punished France, they might 

encourage the French to take revenge. If they broke up France, then another coun- 

try might become so strong that it would threaten them all. Thus, the victorious 

powers did not exact a great price from the defeated nation. As a result, France 

remained a major but diminished European power. Also, no country in Europe 

could easily overpower another. 

Legitimacy The great powers affirmed the principle of le gitimacy — agreeing that 

as many as possible of the rulers whom Napoleon had driven from their thrones be 

restored to power. The ruling families of France, Spain, and several states in Italy 

and Central Europe regained their thrones. The participants in the Congress of 

Vienna believed that the return of the former monarchs would stabilize political 

relations among the nations. 

The Congress of Vienna was a political triumph in many ways. For the first time, 

the nations of an entire continent had cooperated to control political affairs. The 

settlements they agreed upon were fair enough that no country was left bearing a 

grudge. Therefore, the Congress did not sow the seeds of future wars. In that sense, 

it was more successful than many other peace meetings in history. 

By agreeing to come to one another’s aid in case of threats to peace, the 

European nations had temporarily ensured that there would be a balance of power 

on the continent. The Congress of Vienna, then, created a time of peace in Europe. 

It was a lasting peace. None of the five great powers waged war on one another for 

nearly 40 years, when Britain and France fought Russia in the Crimean War. A, 

Political Changes Beyond Vienna 

The Congress of Vienna was a victory for conservatives. Kings and princes 

resumed power in country after country, in keeping with Metternich’s goals. 

Nevertheless, there were important differences from one country to another. 

Britain and France now had constitutional monarchies. Generally speaking, how- 

ever, the governments in Eastern and Central Europe were more conservative. The 

rulers of Russia, Prussia, and Austria were absolute monarchs.

Conservative Europe The rulers of Europe were very nervous about the legacy of 

the French Revolution. They worried that the ideals of liberty, equality, and frater- 

nity might encourage revolutions elsewhere. Late in 1815, Czar Alexander I, 

Emperor Francis I of Austria, and King Frederick William III of Prussia signed an 

agreement called the Holy Alliance . In it, they pledged to base their relations with 

other nations on Christian principles in order to combat the forces of revolution. 

Finally, a series of alliances devised by Metternich, called the Concert of Europe , 

ensured that nations would help one another if any revolutions broke out. 

Across Europe, conservatives held firm control of the governments, but they 

could not contain the ideas that had emerged during the French Revolution. France 

after 1815 was deeply divided politically. Conservatives were happy with the 

monarchy of Louis XVIII and were determined to make it last. Liberals, however, 

wanted the king to share more power with the legislature. And many people in the 

lower classes remained committed to the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. 

Similarly, in other countries there was an explosive mixture of ideas and factions 

that would contribute directly to revolutions in 1830 and 1848. B 

Despite their efforts to undo the French Revolution, the leaders at the Congress of 

Vienna could not turn back the clock. The Revolution had given Europe its first 

experiment in democratic government. Although the experiment had failed, it had set 

new political ideas in motion. The major political upheavals of the early 1800s had 

their roots in the French Revolution. 

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