The Congress of Vienna was a conference between ambassadors, from the major powers in Europe that was chaired by the Austrian statesman Klemens Wenzel von Metternich and held in Vienna, Austria, from November 1, 1814, to June 8, 1815.
Its purpose was to settle issues and redraw the continent's political map after the defeat of Napoleonic France the previous spring, which would also reflect the change in status by the redistricting of Italy, the Balkans and the overseas territories of the major powers. The discussions continued despite the ex-Emperor Napoleon I's return from exile and resumption of power in France in March 1815, and the Congress's Final Act was signed nine days before his final defeat at Waterloo on June 18, 1815.
One might note that the "Congress of Vienna" never actually occurred, as the Congress never met in plenary session, with most of the discussions occurring in informal sessions among the Great Powers meeting without the greater number of delegates from the lesser states.
The Congress was concerned with determining the entire shape of Europe and her dependencies after the Napoleonic wars, with the exception of the terms of peace with France between the belligerents, which had already been decided by the Treaty of Paris, signed a few months earlier, on May 30, 1814 returning the Bourbon monarchy and re-setting the borders to their 1792 locations. That outcome was widely unpopular with the population of France, and led indirectly to the resumption of power by Napoleon during the Hundred Days.
Participants[]
At the Congress, Britain was represented first by its Foreign Secretary, Viscount Castlereagh; after Castlereagh's return to England in February 1815, by the Duke of Wellington; and in the last weeks, after Wellington left to face Napoleon in the Hundred Days, by the Earl of Clancarty.
Austria was represented by Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, the Foreign Minister, and by his deputy, Baron Wessenberg.
Louis XVIII's France was represented by its foreign minister, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord.
Sweden was represented by General Carl Johan Adlercreutz and Count Hans Axel von Fersen.
Although Russia's official delegation was led by the foreign minister, Count Nesselrode, Tsar Alexander I for the most part acted on his own behalf.
Initially, the representatives of the four victorious powers hoped to exclude the French from serious participation in the negotiations, but Talleyrand managed to skillfully insert himself into "her inner councils" in the first weeks of negotiations. He allied himself to a Committee of Eight powers (Spain, France, Sweden, and Portugal) to attempt control the negotiations. Talleyrand was able to use this to make himself a part of the inner negotiations. He then left his committee.
The major Allies' indecision on how to conduct their affairs without provoking a united protest from the lesser powers led to the calling of a preliminary conference on protocol, to which both Talleyrand and the Marquis of Labrador, Spain's representative, were invited on September 30, 1814.
Congress Secretary Friedrich von Gentz (1764–1832) would report that "The intervention of Talleyrand and Labrador has hopelessly upset all our plans. Talleyrand protested against the procedure we have adopted and soundly [be]rated us for two hours. It was a scene I shall never forget."
The embarrassed representatives of the Allies replied that the document concerning the protocol they had arranged actually meant nothing. "If it means so little, why did you sign it?" snapped Labrador.
Talleyrand’s policy, directed as much by national as personal ambitions, demanded the close but by no means amicable relationship he had with Labrador. Talleyrand regarded Labrador with "Olympian disdain"; of Talleyrand, the testy Spaniard would remark: "that cripple, unfortunately, is going to Vienna."
Most of the work at the Congress was performed by the five main powers (United Kingdom, Russia, Sweden, Austria, France).
On some issues, these powers cooperated with:
- Spain (represented by the Marquis of Labrador)
- Portugal (represented by Pedro de Sousa Holstein, Count of Palmela; António Saldanha da Gama; Joaquim Lobo da Silveira).
- Denmark (represented by Joachim Godske)
- The Netherlands (represented by the British Ambassador at the Dutch court, the Earl of Clancarty)
- On German issues, with the states of Hanover (a personal union with the British crown of the day), Bavaria, and Württemberg, the United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary and Sweden were all represented.
- The Iroquois Congress and Algonquian League were both involved in the legislation as they were respectively allies of the British and the Swedes in North America.