CONGRESS OF VIENNA

1. September, 1814, through June, 1815
2. Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia sought to:

• Restore the Old Regime
• Establish a balance of power.

Important leaders at the Congress of Vienna

1. Prince Clemens (or Klemens) von Metternich of Austria – wanted to roll back the clock to 1792
2. Lord Robert Castlereagh of Great Britain – wanted to end the French military threat
3. Tsar Alexander I of Russia – wanted to set up a “holy alliance” of Christian rulers who would fight united to suppress future revolutions
4. Prince Maurice de Talleyrand of France – shrewdly tried to get a good deal for France

 Results of the Congress of Vienna

1.  Redesigned the European map to surround France with strong countries
2. Principles of legitimacy – restored the hereditary (“legitimate”) monarchies
3. Concert of Europe – European leaders would meet to address their concerns
4. For the most part, large-scale war was avoided for 100 years (until World War I in 1914)
5. Failure to realize the power of nationalism

Alliances formed after the Congress of Vienna

Two alliances were created:

1. The Holly Alliance formed by Prussia, Austria and Russia.
2. The Quadruple Alliance with the same members of the Holly Alliance plus United Kingdom.

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