French Revolution:The Congress of Vienna

Convenes

Objectives:

1. Understand the decisions that were made at the Congress of Vienna and how they reflected a new turn in European political thought

2. Analyze how the ideas of the French Revolution continued to influence people throughout Europe

I. The Congress of Vienna (1815)

A. The members invited1. Klemens von Metternich – Austria’s

Foreign Minister * in charge of controlling the Congress

2. Tsar Alexander I – Russian ruler

3. King Frederick William II – leader of Prussia

4. Britain – govt. representative

5. France – same

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/history/hunt/classes/1c/1848.htm

http://firstempire.0catch.com/Biographies/Alexander_I/Alexander_I_by_Gerard/alexander_i_by_gerard.html

http://www.newgenevacenter.org/movers/enlightenment2.htm#Frederick%20Wilhelm%20II

3 Major Goals

1. Containment – France’s power must be limited

2. Balance of Power- all European nations must be equal in strength

3. “Legitimacy”- rulers should have “legal”claim to rule

B. 3 Major Goals

1. Containment of France

a. must limit French power/aggression while not reducing its strength enough to invite a takeover

b. strengthen the nations that surround France• created the Kingdom of the Netherlands• combined 39 small states into the German

Confederation• Sardinia given Genoa to increase its power

(Italy)• Switzerland made an independent neutral

nation

c. effect was to “build a wall around France”

2. Create/Maintain a Balance of Powera. must not completely destroy France’s power

• France required to give up all territories taken by Napoleon

• France’s boundaries before the revolution stayed the same

• Allowed to keep a few New World possessions• Kept its army• Maintained an independent govt.

b. France was a major but diminished power

c. All major nations in Europe approx. equal in power

3. Re-establish the governments in Europe that had been disrupted in the Napoleonic Wars

a. Principle of “legitimacy”• Legitimate ruling families who had

ruled before Napoleon should be restored to their thrones

b. France – Louis XVIII (bro. Of Louis XVI) returned to throne• Est. a constitutional monarchy

c. Spain – Bourbon family restored to the throne

d. Hapsburgs returned to areas in northern Italy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVIII_of_France

C. Success of the Congress of Vienna1. settlements were fair enough that it did not

encourage future wars

2. 1st time that the nations of one continent were cooperating together to try to control political affairs in the future

3. preserved an era of peace and stability in Europe almost until the 20th century

II. Europe Beyond ViennaA. A Conservative Atmosphere

1. Organizations created to monitor and combat revolutionary ideals/movements

a. The Holy Alliance (Russia, Prussia, Austria)

b. Concert of Europe• Alliances against revolutions

2. Revolutionary ideas (liberty, self-govt., human rights, etc.) continued to grow throughout Europe

http://www.russian-nobilityusa.org/?Page=24

B. Revolutions in Latin America

1. The ideas of the French & American revolutions inspired peoples in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, & Venezuela to overthrow their European rulers

2. Leads the US to develop its Monroe Doctrine (1825)

B. Long-Term Legacy1. Power of France decreased while Britain and

Prussia’s power grew

2. Nationalism became a powerful force that eventually will lead to the formation of new nations in Italy and Germany

3. Conditions in the Americas changed as colonies took opportunity to declare independence from European nations

4. New Era in Political Thought is Born

a. principles of democracy replaced old ideas of Divine Right and absolutism

b. equality of all classes economically and politically come to be accepted by majority