Congress of Vienna

Klemens von Metternich  Key figure of the Congress of Vienna  Foreign minister of Austria  Distrusted democratic ideals of the French Revolution  He had three goals for the Congress of Vienna

Klemons von Metternich!!

Three Goals  Prevent future French aggression by surrounding France with strong countries  Restore a balance of power, so that no country would be a threat to others  Restore Europe’s royal families to the thrones they had held before Napoleon’s conquests

Big ideas of the Congress  Balance of Power-keep Europe balanced so that no one nation can be too powerful  Legitimacy-rulers prior to Napoleon should be placed back on the throne- (conservatism)

Key alliances  Holy Alliance-Czar of Russia, Emperor of Austria, and King of Prussia  Concert of Europe-devised by Metternich, assured that nations would help one another if any revolutions broke out

Revolts  Reestablishment of harsh Monarchs gave purpose to liberal revolutionaries in Mexico and Brazil in the 1820s

Legacy  “Balance of Power”  Restoration of monarchies  New political map of Europe  New political philosophies (liberalism, conservatism)

Understanding #1  The Congress of Vienna attempted to restore Europe as it had been before the French Revolution and Napoleonic conquests

Understanding #2  The terms of the Congress of Vienna led to widespread discontent in Europe. Unsuccessful revolutions of 1848 increased nationalistic tensions.